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MADISON  SQUARE  GARDEN.  N.  Y. 
McKiM.  Mead  &  Whitk.  Akchitkcts 


THE 

PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


OF 


AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


WILLIAM  H.  BIRKMIRE, 

Author  of    Architectural  Iron  and  Steel"  "  Skeleton  Construction 
in  Buildings  "  etc.,  etc. 


FIRST  EDITION, 
FIRST  THOUSAND. 


NEW  YORK: 
JOHN  WILEY  &  SONS. 
London:  CHAPMAN  &  HALL,  Limited. 
1903. 


Copyright,  1896, 

BY 

WILLIAM  H.  BIRKMIRB. 


ROBERT  DRUMMOND,  ELECTROTYPER  AND  PRINTER,  NEW  YORK.. 


PREFACE. 


Theatres,  opera  houses,  and  public  halls  among  the 
cities  of  this  country  have  become  so  numerous,  the  plan- 
ning and  construction  so  governed  by  stringent  building  laws 
enacted  and  revised  from  time  to  time  for  the  safety  of  the 
public,  that  the  author  has  been  induced  to  prepare  this 
volume  for  architects  and  others  interested  in  this  class  of 
structures. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  work  the  writer  is  under  obliga- 
tions and  here  makes  his  acknowledgments  to  well-known 
architects  who  have  made  the  subject  a  special  study,  and 
from  their  latest  examples  of  modern  theatres  the  illustrations 
have  been  taken. 

iii 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Introduction   i 

The  First  Playhouse  in  New  York   i 

The  Madison  Square  Garden,  New  York   2 

The  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  New  York   .       .       ,       ,       ,  4 

The  Chicago  Auditorium   6 

The  Castle  Square  Theatre,  Boston,  Mass  •       .  9 

The  Fifth  Avenue  Theatre,  New  York   16 

The  American  Theatre,  New  York   21 

Heating  and  Ventilation         .   29 

Proctor's  Pleasure  Palace,  New  York   32 

Hammerstein's  Olympia,  New  York   41 

The  Gaiety  Theatre,  Boston,  Mass   48 

Seating   52 

A  Marble  Engine-room  •       •       •       •  53 

The  Abbey  Theatre,  New  York   57 

Parquette  and  Parquette  Circle  •       .       .  60 

Dressing-rooms       .....       e       ••       ...  72 

Balcony  Construction,  Abbey's  Theatre        .       .       .       i       .       .  77 

Balcony  and  Gallery  Construction,  Empire  Theatre    ....  80 

Acoustics         .....00   82 

Sighting   .   88 

The  Stage  and  its  Appurtenances   93 

Construction  of  the  Proscenium-opening   94 

Construction  of  the  Stage-floor  ,       .  94 

Fire-curtain     =    95 

The  Gridiron    e       »   96 

Fly-galleries     .       ,       ,   97 

Paint-bridge    ,       ,  »       •       »       .  99 

Sliding  Skylights  over  Stage   100 

V 


vi 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS, 


APPENDIX:  THE  NEW  YORK  BUILDING  LAW. 

PAGB 


Theatres  to  be  Approved  by  the  Superintendent  of  Buildings  before 

being  Opened   loi 

Every  Theatre  to  have  Street-fronts  and  Side-courts  .       .       •       •  102 

Separate  Corridors  to  Street  102 

Auditorium  Exits  to  Side-courts   103 

Fire-escapes,  Balconies,  and  Staircases   103 

Metal  Awnings  over  Outside  Balconies  and  Staircases  .  ,  .  104 
When  Built  on  Corner-lots  a  Portion  of  Building  may  be  Used  for 

Business  Purposes   104 

Roof-garden  above  Theatre   105 

Workshops,  Storage-  and  Property-rooms   105 

Use  of  Theatre  Buildings  for  Other  Purposes  Prohibited    .       .       ,  105 

Interior  Walls  to  be  Fire-proof   106 

Enclosure  of  Staircases   106 

Proscenium  Wall  and  Girder   106 

Orchestra  Placed  above  Stage  •       •       .  106 

Proscenium-frame  Fire-proof   106 

Curtain  for  Proscenium-opening  to  be  Fire-proof        •       •       •       .  107 

Iron  Doors  in  Proscenium-wall   107 

Skylights  over  Stage       .       .       •       t       •       •       •       •       •       •  107 

Construction  of  Stage-floor     •••••••••  io3 

Fly-gallery  Construction   108 

Rigging-loft  or  Gridiron  •       •       •       •  108 

Stage  Scenery  ••••  108 

Roof,  Floors,  and  Galleries  to  be  Fire-proof        .....  108 

Gallery-fronts   108 

Ceilings  of  Galleries  and  Auditorium  •       .  109 

Partitions  and  Furring  to  be  Fire-proof   109 

Dressing-room  Partition  109 

Dressing-rooms  in  Fly-galleries  109 

Auditorium  Seats   iio 

Platforms  to  Receive  Seats  in  Galleries   no 

Auditorium  Aisles   no 

Capacity  of  Foyers,  Corridors,  etc.,  Governed  by  Audience       •      •  no 

Inclined  Planes  in  Aisles   no 

Exits— Number  Proportioned  to  Capacity  of  House     •       •       •       .  no 

Width  of  Exit-doors  •       •       .  in 

Exit-doors  to  Open  Outwardly  in 

Gallery  Exits  and  Entrances  in 

Main-floor  and  First-gallery  Exits  .  in 

Width  of  Passage  Leading  to  Stairways       .       •       •       •       •       .  in 

Stairways   in 

Stage  Stairway   112 

Stairways  to  Upper  Galleries  Enclosed  with  Walls      ....  112 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  vii 

PAGB 

Stair-landings  ••••.113 

Stair  Hand-rails     •••••••••••  113 

Steam-boilers  Located    .      •      •      •      •      •      •      •      •  •113 

Heating  ••••••••  113 

Standpipes   I14 

Automatic  Sprinklers  •      •      •      •  .114 

Fire-hose  114 

Casks  of  Water  115 

Portable  Extinguishers  •       #      •      •      •  115 

Lighting  I15 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Madison  Square  Garden  Theatre,  New  York  •  ,  ,  Frontispiece 
Metropolitan  Opera  House,  New  York          ....  Facing  page  2 

Interior  of  Metropolitan  Opera  House   4 

"       "  the  Chicago  Auditorium   "  6 

Castle  Square  Theatre,  Boston,  Mass.,  Main-floor  Plan      •  **  8 

*•          *♦         Foyer   **  10 

**          **          *'        Mezzanine  Balcony  ....  **  12 

*•          **          **        Ceiling  of  Foyer       ....  "12 

**          "          **        View  from  Stage      .       ,       .       ,  "13 

**          **        View  of  Stage   *•  14. 

**          •*          *•         Proscenium  Arch  and  Boxes   .       •  **  15 

Fifth  Avenue  Theatre,  New  York   •*  16 

'*        "                     The  Old  Landmark   ....  "17 

«*         "          **          Main-floor  Plan   "18 

*•         **          **         Twenty-eighth  Street  Foyer     .       .  **  19 

•*         **                      Broadway  Entrance  ....  **  19 

•*        *•          "          Detail  of  Twenty-eighth  Street  Front  **  20 

"         *♦                     View  of  Box,  etc   **  21 

The  American  Theatre,  New  York   "22 

*♦            '*        Ground-floor  Plan    .       .       •       •  "23. 

«♦          **            **        Longitudinal  Section        •       •       •  "24. 

♦*          *«            **        Balcony  Plan    .       ,       ,       ,       ,  '*  2S 

Gallery  Plan   "26 

Proctor's  Pleasure  Palace,  New  York   "32 

«♦                                 Main-floor  Flan    .       •       •       •  **  33 

*«            «*           **       Longitudinal  Section  •       •      •  **  34 

"            «*                    Balcony  Plan      ....  "37 

««            »*            **       Gallery  Plan        ....  "39 

Hammerstein's  Olympia,  New  York   *•  40- 

«♦                  **        Main-floor  Plan     .       .       •       •  "43 

««                  **         Balcony  Plan  .       .       .       ,       •  "44 

Longitudinal  Section    •       •       •  "46 

ix 


X 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Gaiety  Theatre,  Boston,  Mass  Facing  page  48 

•*          '*         Grand  Foyer   «•  49 

"                    The  Loggia   «*  50 

**          **         Corner  in  Grand  Foyer       ....  "  51 

"  **  "  "  Reception-room  ....  **  51 
*'          **         Section  Grand  Reception-room  and  Balcony 

Staircase   *♦  52 

«•          "         Main-floor  Plan   *•  53 

"          "         Longitudinal  Section  .....  **  53 

"          "         View  of  the  Stage   **  54 

"          "         Proscenium-arch   **  55 

"          **         Section  of  Proscenium  and  Private  Boxes  **  57 

"          **         Dynamo-  and  Engine-room        ...  **  56 

*•         Switchboard   "  57 

Abbey  Theatre,  New  York   "  58 

**            **       Interior  View   •*  60 

"           **       Parquette  and  Parquette  Circle  ...  "  64 

"           **       Longitudinal  Section   "  66 

"                    Balcony  Plan   74 

"           •*            •*       Construction   "  77 

Gallery          "    "  78 

"                    Paint-bridge   "  99 

Empire  Theatre,  New  York   "  62 

**            *♦       Balcony  Plan   "  72 

"            **       Gallery     "   "  75 

"            **       Balcony  Construction        ....  "  80 

Gallery          "   "  81 

*•            ••       Section  of  Gridiron   **  96 

Parquette,  Harrigan's  Theatre,  New  York  (now  called  the 

Garrick)   "  67 

Parquette  and  Parquette  Circle,  Manhattan  Opera  House  .  "  71 

View  of  Boxes,  Garrick  Theatre   **  76 

Plan  Diagram  of  Sound-lines   '*  86 

Vertical  Section  of  Diagram  of  Sound-lines  .       .       •       •  "  87 

Diagram  of  Sighting-lines  •  **  89 

Construction  of  Proscenium  Opening   .       •       •       •      •  "  93 

Stage-floor  Construction  **  94 

Ply-gallery  Section  with  Pin  Rails        .       •       •      •      •  "  98 

Sliding  Skylight  for  Roof  over  Stage   "  100 


THE   PLANNING    AND   CONSTRUCTION  OF 
AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


INTRODUCTION. 

We  are  informed  that  dramatic  history  in  New  York 
began  more  than  a  century  and  a  half  ago.  The  first 
dramatic  performance  ever  seen  in  America  was  given  in 
this  city  during  the  last  week  in  September,  1732,  The 
first  playhouse  was  the  Nassau  Street  Theatre,  on  the  east 
side  of  Nassau  Street — then  called  Kip — between  John  Street 
and  Maiden  Lane.  It  was  a  wooden  structure,  and  opened 
March  5,  1750.  Kean  and  Murray  were  the  managers,  and 
the  play  for  the  first  night  was  Richard  III,  There  were 
performances  twice  a  week,  and  the  season  lasted  for  five 
months.  This  house  gave  way  to  a  new  one,  built  in  1753 
by  Lewis  and  William  Hallen,  the  one  a  manager,  the  other 
an  actor;  but  in  a  few  years  the  new  house  was  converted 
into  a  church  for  the  use  of  the  German  Calvinists. 

David  Douglass  built  in  1761  a  theatre  at  Nassau  and 
Beekman  streets,  where  Temple  Court  now  stands,  at  which, 
on  November  26th  of  the  same  year,  Hamlet  was  presented 
for  the  first  time  in  America.  The  cost  of  this  playhouse 
was  $1625.    The  dimensions  were  40  by  90  feet. 

From  1 76 1  to  the  present  time  what  a  contrast  and 
advancement  are  perceptible! 

The  Madison  Square  Garden  and  the  Metropolitan  Opera 


2 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


House,  built  within  the  last  six  years,  are  of  special 
prominence  because  of  their  magnitude  as  buildings  and  of 
the  expenditure  of  enormous  sums  of  money. 

The  Madison  Square  Garden  in  magnitude  is  the  more 
important  of  the  two.  It  is  the  largest  building  in  America 
devoted  entirely  to  amusements,  and  cost  about  $3,000,000. 
It  occupies  the  entire  block  bounded  by  Madison  and  Fourth 
avenues,  Twenty-sixth  and  Twenty-seventh  streets.  It  is 
465  feet  long  and  200  feet  wide,  and  its  walls  rise  to  a  height 
of  65  feet.  Architecturally  it  is  a  magnificent  structure,  be- 
cause of  the  simplicity  of  the  construction  and  the  absence  of 
trifling  details  in  the  ornamentation.  The  style  is  in  the 
Renaissance,  and  the  materials  buff  brick  and  terra  cotta. 
The  roof  is  flat,  or  nearly  so,  but  the  sky-lines  are  broken 
by  a  colonnade  which  rises  above  the  roof  at  the  Madison 
Avenue  end  and  extends  along  either  side  for  100  feet;  by 
six  open  cupolas,  with  semi-spherical  domes,  which  rise 
above  the  colonnade;  by  two  towers  at  the  Fourth  Avenue 
corners;  and  by  a  magnificent  square  tower  which  rises  from 
the  Twenty-sixth  Street  side,  with  its  lines  unbroken  for  249 
feet,  and  then  in  a  series  of  open  cupolas,  decreasing  in 
diameter,  on  the  smallest  and  topmost  of  which  is  posed  a 
figure  of  Diana,  of  heroic  size,  the  crown  of  whose  head  is. 
332  feet  from  the  sidewalk. 

At  the  Madison  Avenue  end,  and  extending  on  either 
side  for  a  distance  of  150  feet,  there  is  an  open  arcade 
which  covers  the  sidewalk,  and  the  roof  of  which  rests  upon 
pillars  of  polished  granite  and  brick  piers.  The  top  of  the 
arcade  is  laid  out  as  a  promenade.  The  main  entrance  to 
the  building  is  at  the  Madison  Avenue  end,  through  a  triple 
doorway,  and  above  it  is  the  most  prominent  feature  of 
exterior  decoration,  an  elaborate  arch  in  terra  cotta  set  in 
relief  into  the  wall. 

From  the  entrance  a  lobby  100  feet  long  and  23  feet  wide- 


OF  AMERICAN  2^ HE  AT  RES.  3 

leads  to  a  foyer,  and  this  opens  into  the  amphitheatre, 
which  is  the  main  feature  of  the  building.  This  hall  is  300 
feet  long,  200  feet  wide,  and  59  feet  to  the  bottom  of  the 
girders.  In  the  centre  is  the  arena  floor,  268  feet  long  and 
122  feet  wide,  with  parallel  straight  sides  and  semi-circular 
ends,  and  from  this  floor  rise  the  box  tiers  and  rows  upon 
rows  of  seats,  extending  back  to  the  walls.  No  attempt  has 
been  made  at  decoration,  other  than  to  leave  all  the  construc- 
tion open  to  view,  and  to  paint  the  columns,  roof-girders, 
etc.,  a  light  buff  tint;  and  the  beauty  of  the  interior  resides 
in  the  simplicity  and  in  the  light  and  graceful  appearance  of 
the  construction. 

Properly  speaking  there  is  no  stage,  but  when  one  is 
required  it  is  constructed  at  the  east  end.  There  are  no 
arena  boxes  around  the  edges  of  the  floor,  52  in  the  first  tier, 
26  in  the  second,  and  26  in  the  third.  With  the  floor  left 
open  for  a  performance  like  that  of  a  circus,  for  example, 
there  are  seats  for  5000  people.  With  the  floor  occupied  by 
chairs,  as  for  concerts,  leaving  space  either  in  the  centre  or 
at  the  eastern  end  for  a  band-stand,  the  seating  capacity  is 
9000,  and  there  is  standing  room  for  many  thousands  more. 
On  the  opening  night,  June  16,  1890,  with  a  concert  by 
Edward  Strauss's  orchestra,  there  were  present  17,000 
people ;  and  that  ample  provisions  for  exit  had  been  made 
was  shown  in  the  fact  that  the  amphitheatre  was  vacated 
after  the  performance  in  4|-  minutes. 

There  are  ten  exits,  and  all  of  them  save  on  Fourth 
Avenue  are  on  inclines  without  stairs. 

In  the  Madison  Avenue  and  Twenty-sixth  Street  corner 
of  the  building  there  is  on  the  first  floor  a  cafe  115  feet  long 
and  70  feet  wide.  Above  it  is  a  concert-hall,  elaborated  in 
white  and  gold,  with  two  balconies,  the  lower  of  which  is 
divided  into  36  open  boxes.  The  seating  capacity  is  iioo. 
Opening  from  the  lower  balcony  there  is  an  assembly  or 


4 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


dining  hall,  69  by  32  feet;  and  connected  therewith  is  a 
kitchen  equipment. 

Above  the  Madison  Avenue  end  of  the  building  there  is 
a  roof-garden  200  by  80  feet,  with  a  small  stage  or  band- 
stand. This  was  opened  for  the  first  time  on  May  30,  1892, 
and  it  is  estimated  that  3500  people  were  present. 

At  the  Madison  Avenue  and  Twenty-seventh  Street 
corner,  occupying  a  space  115  feet  long  and  70  feet  wide,  is 
the  Garden  Theatre.  The  auditorium,  with  eight  boxes,  a 
balcony,  and  a  gallery,  has  a  seating  capacity  of  about  1200. 
The  Garden  Theatre  was  opened  September  27,  1890. 

The  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  which  occupies  the  whole 
block  bounded  by  Broadway,  Seventh  Avenue,  Thirty-ninth 
and  Fortieth  streets,  is  perhaps  the  second  establishment  of 
importance  in  the  country.  It  was  built  by  a  corporation 
and  cost  about  $1,500,000.  The  building  is  of  buff  brick, 
stone,  and  iron,  in  the  Italian  Renaissance  style  of  architecture. 
The  exterior  dimensions  are:  on  Broadway,  205  feet;  Thirty- 
ninth  Street,  284  feet;  Seventh  Avenue,  197  feet;  Fortieth 
Street,  229  feet.  The  main  auditorium  is  reached  from  the 
front  through  a  vestibule  65  by  35  feet,  and  from  either  side 
through  vestibules  which  are  33  feet  wide  and  70  and  50  feet 
in  length,  respectively.  All  three  vestibules  open  into  a 
semi-circular  corridor  which  extends  around  the  auditorium 
to  the  proscenium  wall  on  either  side. 

The  Opera  House  was  opened  October  22,  1883,  and  the 
interior  was  destroyed  by  fire  August  27,  1892.  On  Tues- 
day, November  28,  1893,  the  building  was  again  opened, 
with  the  interior  entirely  remodelled.  The  first  circle  of 
boxes  originally  placed  on  each  side  of  the  house  is  removed, 
and  the  floor  lowered  three  and  one  half  feet  to  allow  three 
rows  of  chairs,  forming  the  orchestra  circle,  to  be  placed 
around  the  entire  auditorium  under  the  parterre  tier  of  boxes. 
The  entire  seating  capacity  is  3,200. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES.  5 

In  the  parterre  tier  there  are  thirty-five  boxes;  in  the 
next  or  grand  tier  there  are  nineteen  boxes  in  the  centre, 
similar  in  size  and  shape  to  those  of  the  parterre,  while  on 
the  north  side  of  the  former  there  are  twenty  small  open 
boxes  in  two  rows,  each  capable  of  seating  four  persons,  and 
on  the  south  side,  filling  the  corresponding  space,  is  one 
omnibus  box  holding  io6  seats.  This  box  is  shut  off  from 
the  balance  of  the  house  and  is  entered  directly  from  the 
club-room.  Above  the  two  box-tiers  come  the  dress-circle, 
the  balcony,  and  the  family  circle,  in  the  order  named,  all 
connected,  in  addition  to  stairs,  by  four  large  elevators  at 
the  Fortieth  Street  entrance,  each  capable  of  carrying  35  or 
40  persons  and  running  to  the  top  of  the  building. 

The  foundation  colors  of  the  decoration  throughout  the 
house  are  ivory-white,  gold,  and  deep  red,  or  rather  maroon. 
The  chairs  are  covered  with  maroon-colored  tapestry  of  a 
corded  silk  material.  Upon  the  back  of  each  chair  there  is 
an  ornamental  design  worked  in  dead-gold-colored  silk  thread. 
The  chairs  in  the  balcony  are  upholstered  in  leather  of  the 
same  color,  while  those  in  the  family  circle  have  perforated 
wooden  seats  and  backs. 

The  hangings  between  the  parterre  boxes  and  the  nine- 
teen in  the  grand  tier  are  of  a  maroon  tint.  The  walls  of 
the  boxes  are  covered  with  a  corded  silk  tapestry  of  the 
same  hue,  having  a  tiny  fleur-de-lis  worked  on  it  in  glossy 
red  silk  thread,  which  causes  it  to  stand  out  with  very  happy 
results. 

The  walls  of  the  anterooms  are  covered  with  similar 
material,  but  of  a  dead-gold  color.  The  stage,  which  has 
been  lowered  several  feet  from  the  original,  is  fitted  up  with 
all  the  latest  appliances.  The  proscenium  opening  is  54  by 
50  feet.  The  width  of  stage  from  wall  to  wall  is  100  feet, 
and  the  depth  from  the  back  wall  to  the  curtain-line  is  73 
feet;  to  the  footlights,  86  feet. 


6 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


The  height  of  the  gridiron  or  rigging-loft  is  88  feet. 

The  lighting  of  the  house  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired. 
There  are  10,000  electric  lamps,  nearly  half  of  which  are  on 
the  stage.  Incandescent  lamps  in  ground-glass  globes  shed 
a  soft  light  over  the  auditorium  from  the  ceiling,  from  the 
tops  of  the  pillars,  and  from  rows  which  extend  along  the 
frieze  of  the  cornices. 

On  the  orchestra  floor  an  excellently  appointed  dressing- 
parlor  for  ladies  has  been  fitted  up.  In  addition  to  the  above, 
dressing-rooms  have  been  placed  on  each  floor  for  ladies  and 
gentlemen.  There  are  seventy-eight  exits  in  all  from  the 
house,  and  every  precaution  has  been  taken  against  disaster 
by  fire. 

The  wish  of  Chicago  to  possess  an  opera  house  larger  and 
finer  than  the  Metropolitan  of  New  York,  a  hall  for  great 
choral  and  orchestral  concerts,  a  mammoth  ball-room,  a  con- 
vention hall,  an  auditorium  for  mass  meetings,  all  under  the 
same  roof  and  within  the  same  walls,  gave  birth  to  the  Audi- 
torium. 

In  addition  to  the  opera  house  the  building  contains  offices, 
stores,  and  a  hotel.  The  most  daring  and  conspicuously 
successful  structural  feature  of  the  hotel  is  a  truss  construction, 
118  feet  span,  carrying  the  banquet-hall,  weighing  660  tons, 
over  the  auditorium ;  and  those  over  the  stage,  with  a  span 
of  no  feet,  carrying  a  load  of  2500  tons  composed  of  stage 
machinery,  rigging-loft,  fly-galleries,  four  stories  of  hotel- 
rooms  and  working  departments,  all  of  fire-proof  construction. 
The  auditorium  proper  with  its  accessories  occupies  an  area 
of  35,800  square  feet  Its  general  dimensions  are  118  by 
246  feet.  To  the  above  must  be  added  the  spaces  occupied 
for  entrances  and  exits,  for  parlors,  smoking-rooms,  organ- 
chamber,  and  stage  dressing-rooms. 

Upon  the  main  floor  the  stage  occupies  a  depth  of  70  feet, 
-the  orchestra  12  feet,  the  parquette  104  feet,  and  the  main  foyer 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES, 


7 


60  feet.  The  main  floor  contains  about  1400  seats  arranged 
in  sweeping  curves,  stepped  up  with  a  rise  of  17  feet. 

Advantage  is  taken  of  this  rise  to  obtain  under  the  higher 
parts  of  the  parquette  an  entrance  foyer,  80  by  118  feet,  and 
a  series  of  wardrobes  and  cloak-rooms  of  quite  generous 
capacity. 

On  the  outside  of  the  above  are  corridors  14  feet  wide. 
This  unusually  great  rise  of  the  main  floor  has  also  made  prac- 
ticable the  arrangement  of  six  entrances,  by  which  the  lower 
half  of  the  parquette  seats  are  reached  without  rendering  it 
necessary  to  climb  to  the  upper  level  of  the  main  floor. 

The  main  balcony,  elliptical  in  plan,  is  80  feet  deep  at  the 
end,  but  quite  narrow  at  the  sides.  It  covers  the  main  foyer, 
and  overhangs  the  parquette  20  feet  at  the  end,  but  is  not 
wide  enough  at  the  sides  to  completely  cover  the  boxes. 

The  seats  are  arranged  into  a  rise  of  40  feet  from  the 
lowest  to  the  highest. 

Advantage  has  again  been  taken  of  the  rise  to  form  two 
foyers,  of  which  the  lower  is  40  and  the  upper  20  feet  wide. 
This  balcony  contains  about  1600  seats.  The  two  galleries 
above  the  balcony  contain  each  500  seats. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  the  Auditorium 
contains,  including  the  boxes,  4200  seats. 

The  dimensions  of  the  stage  are  70  by  no  feet.  The 
height  from  the  floor  to  the  rigging-loft  is  95  feet.  The  stage 
floor  is  divided  into  sections,  all  of  which  are  separately  or 
jointly  movable  in  a  vertical  plane.  This  movement  is 
effected  by  20  hydraulic  jacks,  the  plungers  of  which  range  from 
6  to  24  inches  in  diameter,  and  are  operated  under  a  pressure 
of  100  pounds  per  square  inch.  The  valves  controlling  these 
jacks  are  concentrated  in  such  a  manner  that  a  person  operat- 
ing them  is  always  in  communication  with  and  under  control 
of  the  stage  manager.  It  is  possible  with  this  apparatus  to 
rieate  variations  and  gradations  of  level  of  stage  floor  almost 


8 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


instantaneously  in  any  direction,  up,  down,  or  oblique,  for  any 
part  of  the  stage  floor.  This  hydraulic  apparatus  is  modelled 
upon  that  patented  by  the  "  Asphalia  "  of  Vienna,  and 
applied  in  the  opera  houses  of  Buda-Pesth,  Prague,  and 
Halle. 

The  ingenuity  of  American  builders  of  hydraulic  elevators 
and  the  special  conditions  prevailing  in  this  building  have, 
however,  caused  the  introduction  of  many  improvements  and 
modifications  of  the  European  apparatus. 

The  success  of  the  main  room  of  the  Chicago  Auditorium 
is  greatest  when  used  as  a  hall  for  mass  concerts  and  as  an 
opera  house.  It  is  not  so  well  adapted  for  dramatic  per- 
formances, on  account  of  the  great  distance  from  stage  to 
the  farthest  seats. 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  writer  to  confine  the  illustrations 
to  the  planning  and  construction  of  much  smaller  buildings 
than  those  just  mentioned,  describing  the  latest  examples  at 
which  regular  dramatic  performances  are  given,  with  the  ac- 
cessories of  stage,  scenery,  and  curtains,  combining  all  the 
requirements  for  the  ideal  theatre  building  of  the  last  decade 
of  the  nineteenth  century. 


PARQUETTE  OF  CASTLE  SQUARE  THEATRE,  BOSTON,  MASS. 
H.  W.  Maynard,  Architect. 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TEES. 


9 


THE  CASTLE  SQUARE  THEATRE. 

Thespis  has  not  a  more  beautiful  temple  in  this  country 
than  Boston's  new  and  most  magnificent  home  of  the  drama, 
the  Castle  Square  Theatre,  one  of  the  finest,  safest,  best 
equipped,  most  comfortable  and  most  elaborately  furnished 
buildings  devoted  to  theatrical  purposes.  The  entire  press 
of  New  England,  as  well  as  the  representative  journals  in 
the  States,  have  united  in  the  fullest  measure  of  praise  of  its 
grandeur. 

The  situation  of  the  theatre,  as  every  Bostonian  is  aware, 
is  on  the  spacious  square  formed  by  the  junction  of  Tremont, 
Chandler,  and  Ferdinand  streets.  As  far  as  the  public  con- 
venience is  concerned  the  site  is  a  happy  selection.  The 
Providence  depot,  and  the  Columbus  Avenue  station  of  the 
Boston  and  Albany  Railroad,  are  not  five  minutes'  walk  distant ; 
the  prominent  street-car  lines  of  the  city  and  the  West  End, 
the  South  Boston,  and  Cambridge  lines  are  but  a  few  steps 
removed;  the  elevated  railway  has  a  station  at  Castle  Square; 
and  altogether  the  location  is  as  easy  of  access  as  that  of  any 
other  theatre  in  the  city. 

What  but  a  few  months  before  the  opening  night,  Novem- 
ber 19,  1894,  was  an  unsightly  building  has  been  transformed 
into  a  gorgeously  appointed  theatre. 

Before  passing  through  the  principal  entrance  on  Tremont 
Street,  we  are  confronted  by  an  arcade  with  a  height  of  thirty 
feet  from  the  ground,  classic  in  style,  and  built  of  brick  and 
terra  cotta. 

Two  engaged  columns  of  the  Corinthian  order  stand  on 
either  side,  on  pedestals  eleven  feet  high,  and  support  an 
elaborately  moulded  terra-cotta  frieze  and  cornice.  Great 
garlands  in  terra-cotta  relief  interwine  theatrical  insignia,  and 


10 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


on  each  side  of  the  arch  a  group  of  six  immense  wrought-iron 
lanterns  of  colonial  style  cast  a  brilliant  light  over  the  whole 
scheme  of  decoration.  From  the  roof  of  the  arch  rows  of 
electric  globes  send  their  brilliancy  down  and  emphasize 
the  artistic  finish  of  the  large  i6^  X  vestibule.  On  the 
right  and  left  of  the  sides  of  the  vestibule  are  great  terra- 
cotta panels  each  bearing  the  figure  of  a  Greek  dancing  girl. 
In  front  and  above  are  immense  stained-glass  windows,  bear- 
ing in  many-colored  glass  the  outlines  of  a  mediaeval  castle 
and  the  name  of  the  theatre. 

Passing  through  the  main  doors  from  the  vestibule  we 
enter  the  "  grand  foyer."  Turning  to  the  right  or  left  we 
reach  the  mezzanine  balcony  by  the  grand  staircases  with 
their  handsome  electro-bronze  newels  and  balusters,  the  top 
of  the  newels  being  set  off  by  large  electric-light  globes. 

The  grand  foyer,  or  lobby  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  is 
circular  in  form,  19  feet  wide,  including  staircases,  and^6o  feet 
in  length.  The  staircases  are  each  8  feet  wide,  built  of  iron 
.and  marble. 

By  glancing  at  the  ceiling  of  the  foyer  we  are  shown  the 
Guastavian  domes  blazing  with  light,  which  shed  their  brill- 
iance over  the  most  beautiful  paintings  that  have  ever 
decorated  the  ceilings  of  a  theatre. 

Scarcely  are  the  beauties  of  the  domes  considered  when 
we  discover  succession  after  succession  of  similar  domes,  with 
myriad  circles  of  cherubs  reaching  away  into  a  seemingly  end- 
less distance.  The  effect  is  so  real  and  so  astonishing,  the 
purity  and  transparency  of  the  glass  so  wonderful,  that  we 
had  not  noticed  great  mirrors  set  over  the  entrance-doors  at 
such  angles  as  to  reflect  in  their  clear  depths  almost  every 
part  of  the  entire  theatre. 

From  the  foyer  on  the  right  is  situated  the  ladies'  parlor, 
12  feet  wide  by  20  feet  long,  a  dainty  resting-place  furnished 
as  in  the  days  of  Louis.  XVI.    Its  pretty  onyx  marble  fire- 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


II 


place,  combined  with  the  silken  finish  of  the  walls,  its  soft 
carpet  in  delicate  design  and  colors,  and  the  gilded  furni- 
ture, lend  to  it  an  indescribable  charm  which  is  heightened 
by  large  mirrors  covering  two  of  its  walls. 

In  sharp  contrast  to  the  ladies'  parlor  is  the  masculine 
appearance  of  the  gentlemen's  smoking-room — 12  feet  wide 
by  27  feet  long — situated  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the 
building,  but  the  same  lavish  generosity  has  made  it  an  ide~al 
place  to  court.  Its  leather-covered  furnishings  are  solidly 
magnificent,  commodious,  restful,  and  inviting. 

The  beauty  of  the  foyer  is  difficult  to  surpass.  Exits 
from  the  auditorium,  hung  with  draperies  in  softest  red,  are 
numerous.  Cloak-rooms,  dressing-rooms,  and  toilet-rooms 
are  situated  with  a  generous  regard  to  comfort  and  conven- 
ience. The  floors  are  of  neat  designs  in  mosaic  tilings. 
Great  arches,  panelled,  and  beautified  with  exquisite  paint- 
ings, are  seen  on  every  side.  Directly  opposite  the  vestibule 
doors  are  dainty  Sienna  marble  fountains,  with  gold  faucets. 
The  walls  are  finished  in  satin  effect,  and  the  harmony  of 
coloring  in  this  part  of  the  theatre  defies  description. 

As  we  enter  the  auditorium  through  the  doors  shown  upon 
the  view  from  the  stage,  we  see  a  series  of  domes  supported 
upon  the  steel  construction  of  the  balcony,  and  a  scheme  of 
decoration  after  the  Italian  Renaissance  style,  the  relief  work 
being  in  cream  and  gold.  Directly  over  the  auditorium  an 
immense  circular  electrolier,  40  feet  in  diameter,  spreads  its 
twenty  arms  out  from  the  centre  of  the  dome,  and  its  three 
hundred  and  eighty  incandescent  lamps  of  frosted  glass  send 
their  rays  to  every  part  of  the  auditorium  with  a  grand 
illuminating  effect. 

Encircling  this  electrolier  is  another  division  of  the  dome, 
suspended  from  the  electrolier  a  short  distance,  resplendent 
with  floating  cherubim  trailing  a  bewildering  mass  of  rib- 
bons and  garlands  of  flowers  in  their  merry  race  around  the 


12  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

wide-spreading  branch  of  three  hundred  and  eighty  electric 
lights.  No  less  attractive  are  the  proscenium  arch,  and  the 
boxes,  twenty  in  number,  furnished  with  superb  designs  in 
stereo-relief.  Beautiful  beyond  all  is  the  sounding-board,  a 
portion  of  which  is  shown  in  plate  view  of  boxes,  with  a 
depth  of  fifteen  feet  over  the  proscenium  arch,  bearing  the 
most  exquisite  work  in  painting  about  the  theatre.  Twelve 
dancing  girls,  life  size  in  figure,  present  themselves  in 
artistic  abandon.  The  work  was  so  elaborate  that  it  was 
first  executed  on  canvas  in  New  York  and  then  brought  to 
the  theatre  to  grace  the  sounding-board.  The  magnificence 
of  the  auditorium  is  entrancing.  Wherever  art  has  laid  her  ' 
finger  she  has  left  an  impress  of  beauty.  The  grand  sweep 
of  the  balconies,  the  soft  harmony  of  the  colorings,  the  beauty 
of  the  relief  decorations,  and  the  masterfulness  of  the  paint- 
ings have  impressed  us  with  the  fact  that  we  have  found 
an  aesthetically  perfect  theatre. 

While  art  has  left  its  impressions,  mechanical  science 
appeals  to  us  for  a  hearing.  Every  hygienic  law  has  been 
considered  in  the  construction.  Pure  air  is  forced  into  the 
building  by  a  system  of  ventilation  perfect  in  its  conception. 
Each  floor  has  a  hollow  space  to  admit  the  air  from  the 
immense  air-ducts,  supplied  by  a  mammoth  blower.  The 
air  is  carried  to  every  seat  and  forced  into  the  house  through 
the  hollow-legged  chairs. 

We  are  attracted  by  the  general  roominess  about  the  au- 
ditorium, and  at  once  discover  another  distinctive  feature 
in  the  seating  arrangements.  Every  chair  is  of  more  than 
ordinary  width,  the  places  between  them  being  so  generous 
as  to  admit  of  free  passage  even  when  the  audience  is  seated ; 
even  to  the  back  seat  of  the  second  balcony,  the  chosen 
throne  of  the  gallery  god."  This  majestic  critic,  the 
terror  of  all  thespians,"  is  seated  in  comfort.  He  sits  in 
a  chair  covered  with  finest  plush. 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TEES. 


13 


If  we  now  turn  to  a  view  of  the  stage,  we  find  that  the 
proscenium  arch  is  40  feet  wide  and  34  feet  high  to  the  over- 
head girders,  and  its  soft  velvet  curtain  hides  an  ideal  stage, 
68  feet  wide  and  45  feet  in  depth. 

Almost  every  appliance  known  to  the  theatrical  world  has 
entered  into  the  construction  of  this  theatre.  Its  electrical 
equipment  of  one  thousand  32-candle-power  lamps  is  as 
nearly  perfect  as  modern  science  can  make  it. 

Broad  entrances  on  each  side  lead  to  the  streets  adjoining, 
and  a  cavalcade  of  horses  can  enter  at  one  side,  make  a  circuit 
of  the  stage  and  return. 

The  switchboard  which  controls  the  light  effects  is  a 
marvellous  piece  of  mechanism.  It  is  similar  to  that  used 
at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  N.  Y. 

The  theatre  is  fully  equipped  with  the  most  approved  fire- 
aparatus.  Instead  of  single  standpipes,  a  complete  duplicate 
set  is  used.  Adequate  standpipes  on  each  side  of  the  stage 
are  augmented  by  axes,  hooks,  brackets,  and  fire-extinguishers 
on  each  fly-gallery,  paint-bridge,  gridiron,  and  roof.  In  the 
construction  only  iron,  marble,  and  brick  have  been  used. 
There  are  no  wooden  beams,  bracings,  or  floors;  in  fact,  no 
wood-work  of  any  kind,  even  composition  mouldings  taking 
the  place  of  wood  in  the  door-trimmings. 

The  seating  capacity  is  from  1600  to  1800. 

The  general  outlay  of  the  Castle  Square  Theatre  is  shown 
by  the  plan,  which  fully  describes  the  main  floor  or  parquette, 
and  parquette  circle,  with  all  the  necessary  entrances  and 
stairways  leading  to  the  various  portions  of  the  house. 

The  main  entrance  to  the  grand  foyer  is  from  Castle 
Square,  the  entrance  to  the  right  from  Chandler  Street,  and 
that  from  the  left  an  alley  leading  to  Tremont  Street. 
The  main  entrance,  from  Castle  Square,  is  16  feet  wide, 
the  Chandler  Street  entrance  10  feet  wide,  and  that  from 
Tremont  Street  also  10  feet. 


14 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


The  balcony  is  reached  from  the  grand  foyer;  the  gallery 
from  stairways  to  the  fight  and  left  adjoining  the  Chandler 
Street  and  alley  entrances.  These  latter  stairways  are  each 
6  feet  wide  and  built  of  iron  and  slate. 

From  the  foyer  and  lobbies  the  auditorium  is  reached 
by  ten  wide  doorways.  The  auditorium  is  79  feet  6  inches 
wide,  85  feet  6  inches  deep,  and  70  feet  in  height  to  the  top  of 
the  dome  ceiling.  All  calculations  are  taken  from  the  curtain 
line.  The  outer  line  of  the  footlights  from  the  curtain-line 
is  6  feet,  the  orchestra  rail  1 1  feet,  and  the  latter  is  drawn 
from  a  point  upon  the  centre-line  of  the  opening  extending 
backward  58  feet,  and  from  the  same  point  the  seat-rows  of 
the  parquette,  2  feet  8  inches  apart,  are  drawn. 

The  parquette  circle  is  arranged  in  steps  which  are  described 
from  a  point  upon  the  centre-line  extending  into  the  audi- 
torium 9  feet  6  inches.  (See  the  plan,  upon  which  these 
figures  are  clearly  shown.) 

The  first  stepping  of  the  circle  is  2  inches,  and  each  suc- 
cessive step  is  increased  by  \  inch  for  13  steps. 

The  various  aisles  of  this  main  floor  are  divided  as  shown, 
3  feet  wide  at  the  orchestra-rail  and  5  feet  nearest  the  outer 
circle. 

The  boxes,  six  in  number,  are  reached  through  small 
reception-rooms  connected  by  a  passage  leading  to  the  lobby 
on  the  right  and  the  left  of  the  entrance  from  Tremont 
Street. 

There  are  also  upon  this  floor,  connected  to  the  lobbies, 
check-rooms,  writing-room,  telephone-room,  and  toilets  at- 
tached to  the  ladies'  parlor  and  the  smoking-room. 

The  check-room  to  the  right  under  the  balcony  staircase 
IS  7  feet  6  inches  wide  by  14  feet  long,  and  the  left  check- 
room, under  the  corresponding  staircase,  is  the  same  size. 
Adjoining  this  left  check-room  are  the  telephone  and  writing 
rooms,  7  feet  6  inches  wide  by  16  feet  long.    The  toilet 


OF  AMERICAN  THEA  TRES. 


15 


adjoining  the  ladies*  parlor  is  7  feet  6  inches  by  16  feet,  and 
that  of  the  smoking-room  10  feet  6  inches  by  12  feet. 

The  boxes  are  each  8  feet  deep,  with  a  portion  of  the 
circle  deducted,  by  8  feet  in  width,  and  the  passages  leading 
to  the  reception-rooms  of  the  boxes  are  3  feet  9  inches  wide. 

The  stage  is  commodious  and  easy  of  access  to  the  street,, 
at  the  right  through  a  passage  10  feet  wide,  and  at  the  left- 
through  the  alley  or  court.  The  dressing-rooms,  in  addition, 
to  those  shown  upon  this  plan  adjoining  the  office,  are  placed 
upon  the  floor  above. 


l6  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


THE  FIFTH  AVENUE  THEATRE  OF  NEW  YORK. 

This  splendid  example  of  modern  architecture,  the  fourth 
playhouse  that  has  borne  that  name,  is  situated  upon  the 
north  side  of  West  Twenty-eighth  Street,  a  few  feet  from 
Broadway,  on  the  site  of  its  namesake,  which  was  burned  on 
January  2,  1891.  The  Twenty-eighth  Street  front,  which  is 
the  broadside  of  the  building,  is  in  the  style  of  the  Italian 
Renaissance,  very  elaborate  in  the  detail  of  its  ornamentation, 
in  which  free  use  has  been  made  of  the  emblems  of  the  drama. 

The  columns  of  the  portico,  and  the  iron  structure  of 
the  first  story  back  of  the  portico,  are  relics  of  the  former 
building,  and  were  retained  by  Mr.  Francis  H.  Kimball,  the 
architect,  in  their  original  positions,  but  the  cornice  and 
balustrade  of  the  portico  are  parts  of  the  new  work.  Above 
the  first  story  of  the  new  theatre  all  the  ornamental  features 
and  cornices  are  wrought  in  white  terra  cotta.  The  exterior, 
so  elaborate,  on  the  whole,  on  account  of  the  employment  of 
this  medium  of  terra  cotta,  while  maintaining  the  exquisitely 
delicate  and  graceful  characteristics  of  the  period  which  it 
represents,  expresses  in  all  its  constructive  details  the  con- 
tinuity of  an  idea  strictly  in  harmony  with  the  purpose  of  the 
building. 

In  a  word,  it  embodies  in  itself  the  most  appropriate  sug- 
gestion of  the  uses  of  the  interior;  the  grand  divisions  or  prin- 
ciple parts  of  a  theatre,  namely,  the  auditorium  and  the  stage, 
being  illustrated  most  effectively  in  the  architectural  com- 
position, the  more  elaborate  portion  representing  the  audi- 
torium, and  the  plainer  section  the  stage. 

The  richness  and  minute  elaboration  that  such  a  treatment 
is  susceptible  of  in  clay  were  never  more  apparent  than  in  this 
illustration. 


THE  OLD  LANDMARK,   FIFTH  AVENUE  THEATRE. 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


17 


On  either  side  of  the  central  feature  of  the  balcony  foyer 
are  windows,  with  ornamental  terra-cotta  panels  between,  the 
one  denoting  comedy,  the  other  tragedy. 

Again,  the  mullions  of  the  windows  of  the  gallery  foyer 
are  in  the  form  of  caryatides  supporting  the  main  cornice, 
and  in  the  panels  of  the  larger  piers  are  bas-reliefs  represent- 
ing dancing  and  singing  figures,  all  of  these  being  in  terra- 
cotta. 

The  leading  architectural  lines  of  the  Twenty-eighth 
Street  side  are  carried  throughout  the  entire  front,  and  the 
stage  portion  is  less  elaborate  than  that  of  the  auditorium  just 
described,  calling  for  but  Httle  decoration,  comparatively,  in 
terra  cotta. 

There  are  two  principal  entrances  to  the  theatre,  one  of 
which  is  sheltered  by  the  portico  and  opens  into  the  main 
foyer,  an  apartment  40  feet  long  and  13  feet  wide,  and  from 
which  a  wide  marble  stairway  leads  to  the  upper  boxes  and 
balcony. 

This  entrance  to  the  auditorium  is  no  insignificant  subject 
for  decorative  treatment,  and  in  its  treatment  the  architect 
has  kept  well  in  mind  that  the  first  impressions  are  every- 
thing," The  illusion  is  complete,  as  this  hall  in  itsel!  has  no 
great  length ;  though  well  proportioned,  it  appears  twice  as 
long  as  it  otherwise  would,  had  not  the  mirrors  placed  there 
against  the  east  wall  been  adopted. 

The  other  entrance  is  through  a  lobby  50  feet  long  and  12 
feet  wide,  which  leads  from  Broadway  to  the  rear  of  the  par- 
quette. 

Both  the  entrances  are  paved  with  perfectly  white  Ver- 
mont marble,  with  Tennessee  marble  borders  and  plinth 
under-columns  and  pilasters,  and  the  walls  are  divided  into 
panels  by  pilasters  and  columns  of  Mycenium  marble. 

There  is  another  marble  staircase  from  the  p£  quette  to 
the  balcony  on  the  north  side  of  the  theatre,  and  >ne  imme' 


1 8  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

diately  under,  to  the  smoking-room  and  gentlemen's  toilet 
under  the  auditorium. 

Entering  the  theatre  by  the  regular  Broadway  entrance, 
it  will  be  noticeable  that  the  style  of  the  exterior  is  adhered 
to  throughout  entrances,  foyers,  and  auditorium  in  all  its 
elaborateness.  The  pilasters  along  the  walls  of  the  entrance 
represent  Sienna  marble  with  capitals  of  ivory  and  gold,  and 
the  ceiling  overhead  is  vaulted  in  tile,  on  which  are  decorated 
ribs  in  plaster  relief,  the  subject  of  the  ornamentation  being 
fruits  and  flowers,  and  on  the  plain  surfaces  of  the  walls  and 
ceilngs  are  frescoed  ornaments  in  color  and  gold.  There  are 
three  divisions  combined  in  this  entrance:  the  outer  lobby 
next  to  the  street,  with  iron  enclosing  gates,  then  the  box- 
office  lobby,  and  an  inner  lobby  next  to  the  theatre ;  the 
purpose  of  which  divisions  being  to  control  the  rush  of  cold 
air  into  the  theatre  when  the  outer  doors  are  opened. 

The  main  decorative  feature  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Street 
foyer  is  the  beautiful  coloring  which  the  marble  columns  and 
marble  wainscoting  give  that  superb  wall;  and  when  this  is 
contrasted  with  the  ceiling  and  side  walls,  in  white  and  pale 
pinkish  terra  cotta,  the  composition  is  impressive  in  its  full- 
est sense.  .  *" 

On  entering  the  auditorium  from  the  foyer  of  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Theatre  we  are  impressed  with  its  cosey  and  com- 
fortable appearance.  The  parquette  seats  600  people,  and 
the  entire  seating  capacity  is  1400. 

Growing  out  of  the  proscenium  boxes  of  the  theatre  is 
the  great  splay  of  the  proscenium  arch,  itself  panelled  and 
enriched  with  Italian  ornamentation,  and  from  this  springs 
the  dome,  beginning  from  a  heavy  cornice  as  a  base  and 
supporting  heavy  ribs  arranged  in  pairs.  Among  the  most 
charming  decorative  features  of  the  auditorium  is  the  drop- 
curtain,  part  of  which  is  shown,  painted  by  H.  Logan  Reid, 
after  the  original  by  Cottazzo,  "  The  Crowning  of  the  Bride," 


TWENTY-EIGHTH  STREET  FOYER,  FIFTH  AVENUE  THEATRE. 


BROADWAY  ENTRANCE,  FIFTH  AVENUE  THEATRE. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


19 


'described  and  illustrated  by  Henry  M.  Stevens  in  an  article 
entitled  "  The  Fifth  Avenue  Theatre,"  published  in  the 
Scientific  American^  July  number  1893.  Mr.  Stevens  says 
it  is  ''A  souvenir  of  the  happy  days  of  Louis  XVI.  The 
scene  itself  is  one  of  considerable  magnitude  and  introduces 
a  large  number  of  figures.  The  atmosphere  of  old  French 
court  life,  and  the  simplicity  of  the  country  custom  of  the 
time,  in  which  a  provincial  bride  and  groom  seek  distinction 
at  the  hands  of  Louis  and  his  beautiful  consort,  Marie 
Antoinette,  through  a  graceful  ceremony  of  this  coronation, 
are  most  attractively  and  truthfully  portrayed." 

By  taking  another  glance  at  the  auditorium  we  see  the 
same  general  idea  of  design  and  tints  displayed  with  equally 
good  taste  throughout  the  minor  details.  The  acoustic 
properties  are  perfect  and  the  lines  of  sighting  of  the  par- 
quette  and  upper  tiers  are  carried  out  in  the  same  manner 
as  described  under  the  remarks  upon  these  subjects  here- 
after. 

Symmetrical  planning  is  to  our  mind  the  first  necessity  for 
any  theatre  that  is  to  be  a  safe  one.  The  position  of  all  pas- 
sages and  staircases,  the  nearness  of  all  exits  to  these  essential 
parts  and  to  the  outer  air  are,  all-important.  The  front  of 
the  site,  as  well  as  the  sides  looking  on  the  thoroughfare,  is 
of  course  a  great  advantage.  In  this  particular  but  a  few 
feet  separates  the  auditorium  from  the  street,  and  the  build- 
ing, in  case  of  any  emergency,  could  be  emptied  of  its  audi- 
ence in  at  least  two  and  one  half  minutes,  even  that  portion 
occupying  its  farthest  seats. 

The  Fifth  Avenue  is  about  the  size  of  the  Empire  Theatre, 
but  adjoining  its  1400  seats  plenty  of  room  is  allowed  for 
aisles  and  passages.  The  seats  are  comfortable  and  elegantly 
upholstered. 

The  stage  occupies  a  space  35  feet  wide  by  80  feet  long 
upon  the  main  floor,  and  adjoining  is  one  dressing-room,  the 


20 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


manager's  room,  and  a  large  passage  leading  to  Twenty- 
„  eighth  Street  (the  other  dressing-rooms  are  above  the  stage). 
There  are  eight  boxes,  a  balcony,  and  a  gallery  extending 
well  forward. 

The  auditorium  is  68  feet  wide  by  64  feet  deep  and  65 
feet  to  the  dome. 

The  stage  is  also  entered  upon  the  right  through  an  open 
court,  containing  fire-escapes,  and  balconies  built  of  iron, 
which  extend  to  the  upper  tiers  and  in  case  of  emergency  are 
used  as  exits  leading  to  Broadway  through  a  wide  passage. 
The  theatre  is  fully  equipped  with  approved  fire-apparatus, 
the  construction  throughout  is  of  iron  and  steel  with  Guas- 
tavino  arches  in  the  floors,  and  the  building  is  lighted  by 
electricity. 

As  in  the  old  system  of  lighting  a  stage  by  gas  a  gas- 
plate  was  needed,  with  the  taps  labelled  as  to  the  portion  of 
the  system  they  governed,  so  for  the  electric  system  a  switch- 
board is  used,  containing  all  the  necessary  switches,  cut-outs, 
and  other  fittings  for  the  control  and  regulation  of  the  stage- 
lighting.  This  switchboard  is  fixed  in  a  convenient  position 
overlooking  the  stage,  and  is  accessible  only  to  the  person 
employed  to  operate  it. 

The  entire  scenery  has  been  treated  by  the  Martin  Pro- 
cess "  of  fireproofing,  a  description  of  which  will  be  given 
later  on. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


21 


THE  AMERICAN  THEATRE. 

The  American  Theatre,  situated  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Eighth  Avenue  and  West  Forty-second  Street,  New  York 
City,  as  designed  and  constructed  by  Charles  C.  Haight, 
architect,  presents  to  us  an  example  of  the  newest  of  the  great 
places  of  amusements  in  which  New  York  delights. 

It  was  opened  for  the  first  time  in  1893,  and  attained  at 
once  great  popularity. 

The  theatre  proper  covers  a  plot  of  ground  100  feet  by 
98  feet  9  inches,  with  three  fronts  upon  three  different 
streets.  The  photo-plate  shows  the  Forty-first  Street  front 
with  entrances  to  the  foyer,  balcony,  gallery,  and  stage. 
The  other  two  fronts  face  Eighth  Avenue  and  Forty-second 
Street  respectively,  and  are  used  also  as  entrances  to  the 
foyer.  The  Forty-second  Street  entrance  contains  stair- 
ways leading  to  balcony  and  gallery.  The  architecture  of 
the  exterior  is  simple  and  effective,  showing  at  once  that  the 
design  has  been  well  studied,  and  carried  out  with  neatness 
and  precision. 

In  the  decoration  of  the  auditorium  and  throughout  the 
interior  of  other  portions  of  the  building  the  same  taste  has 
been  exercised  as  in  the  front,  the  colors  of  which  are  in  warm 
tints. 

In  the  construction  of  the  auditorium  particular  care  has 
been  taken  to  provide  a  system  by  which  each  spectator 
commands  a  good  view  of  the  performers. 

Some  of  the  important  provisions  for  the  safety  of  the 
public  against  fire  are  wide  and  easy  staircases,  large  outside 
fire-escapes,  open  courts,  and  an  abundance  of  exit  doors; 
fire-extinguishers,  fire-curtain,  and  skylights  constructed  to 
fly  open  automatically.  Iron  and  concrete  enter  largely  into 
the  entire  construction  of  the  building. 


22 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


A  feature  of  the  American  Theatre  is  its  roof-garden, 
which  is  constructed  upon  heavy  iron  girders  over  the  audi- 
torium, where  in  hot  weather  one  may  partake  of  refreshments 
and  Hsten  to  the  orchestral  music. 

The  garden,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the  entire  building,  is 
brilliantly  lighted  with  electricity,  and  is  reached  by  elevators 
and  stairways. 

The  elevator-shafts  are  constructed  of  solid  masonry  walls, 
having  openings  leading  into  the  different  galleries,  the  audi- 
torium, and  foyer.  The  elevators  are  used  by  the  audience  at 
the  beginning  and  close  of  each  performance. 

The  auditorium  will  accommodate,  in  seats  which  are  com- 
fortably arranged,  about  2500  persons. 

The  ground-floor  plan  clearly  shows  the  entire  arrangement 
of  the  entrances  and  lower  portions  of  the  building.  The 
passage  from  Eighth  Avenue  is  19  feet  8  inches  wide,  and 
that  from  Forty-second  Street  15  feet  8  inches;  the  lobby  at 
the  end  of  these  two  passages  being  18  feet  6  inches  in 
diameter. 

The  foyer  is  14  feet  6  inches  wide  at  its  narrowest  part, 
by  about  60  feet  long. 

The  distance  from  the  curtain  to  the  rear  is  74  feet  6 
inches  by  74  feet  5  inches  wide,  and  the  height  of  the  audi- 
torium from  the  stage  level  to  the  top  of  the  dome  is  about 
70  feet. 

From  a  point  on  the  centre-line,  7  feet  4  inches  from  the 
curtain,  a  radius  of  34  feet  describes  the  rail  which  separates 
the  parquette  from  the  parquette  circle.  Each  successive 
row  of  seats  in  the  circle,  2  feet  7  inches  wide,  is  described 
from  the  same  point,  allowance  being  made  for  an  aisle  6  feet 
3  inches  wide  at  the  back. 

The  steppings  of  the  parquette  are  described  by  a  radius 
of  3  I  feet  8  inches  to  a  point  on  the  centre-line  back  from  the 
curtain,  each  row  being  the  same  width  as  those  of  the  circle. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


23 


In  addition  to  the  main  entrances  to  the  foyer  there  are 
in  this  portion  of  the  house  four  exits  on  each  side,  two  lead- 
ing to  an  open  court  and  the  other  two  leading  to  Forty-first 
Street. 


The  stage  with  its  galleries,  and  the  proportions  of  the 
auditorium,  are  shown  in  the  section. 

The  proscenium  opening  is  39  feet  wide  by  39  feet  high. 
The  stage  is  43  feet  4  inches  deep  by  77  feet  9  inches  wide, 
and  73  feet  6  inches  to  the  gridiron. 


24 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


There  are  seven  small  dressing-rooms,  fitted  up  with  toilets 
and  every  convenience,  opening  upon  the  stage  level,  two  of 
which  are  for  star  actors. 


Directly  back  of  the  stage  is  placed  the  scene-dock,  ii 
feet  4  inches  wide  by  25  feet  8  inches  clear  height,  for  the 
storage  of  scenery  used  in  large  spectacular  plays. 

Under  the  entire  stage  and  not  shown  in  any  of  the 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES, 


25 


illustrations  are  spacious  rooms  used  for  various  purposes, 
such  as  bill-rooms,  toilets  for  stage  hands,  orchestra,  etc. 
The  balcony,  being  directly  over  the  parquette  circle,  is 


BALCO/IY  PLATl 


somewhat  similar  in  plan,  with  the  exception  that  the  four 
rear  rows  of  seats  are  raised  above  the  balcony-level. 

The  four  emergency  exits  shown  upon  the  plan  lead  to 
the  outside  fire-escapes.    All  the  dressing-rooms  above  the 


26 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


stage-level,  some  of  which  are  also  shown  in  the  plan,  are 
reached  by  iron  and  slate  stairways. 


The  height  of  the  balcony  is  2 1  feet  from  the  foyer  floor- 
level,  being  9  feet  \\  inches  to  the  first  stepping;  eleven  step- 
pings  take  up  the  remaining  height  of  10  feet  10^  inches. 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


27 


The  first  fly-gallery  is  8  feet  9  inches  from  the  stage,  the 
second  7  feet  9  inches,  and  the  third  7  feet  9  inches  from  the 
second. 

The  front  of  gallery  and  stepping  as  shown  by  the  plan  of 
gallery  are  described  by  a  radius  38  feet  10  inches  from  a 
point  on  the  centre-line  5  feet  4  inches  from  the  curtain. 
The  steppings  are  all  2  feet  6  inches  wide,  the  height  of  the 
first  being  17^  inches,  the  second  18^,  the  last  at  the  gallery- 
level,  20\  inches,  making  14  feet  6f  inches,  or  16  feet  from 
the  balcony-level. 

From  the  16-foot  level  at  the  back  of  the  gallery  there  is 
a  passage  6  feet  4  inches  wide,  and  placed  above  this  passage 
there  are  six  rows  of  seats  2  feet  6  inches  wide,  from  18J 
inches  to  20\  inches  in  height. 

The  halls  of  this  gallery  leading  to  the  main  stairways  are 
8  feet  6  inches  wide,  and  the  doors  leading  to  the  fire-escape 
stairs  are  6  feet  wide. 

It  is  also  possible,  by  the  arrangement  of  steppings,  to 
reach  the  lower  floor  by  the  circular  stairs  at  the  rear  of  the 
six  boxes. 

The  stage  side  of  the  auditorium  at  the  gallery-level 
contains  the  paint-bridge,  the  two  large  fly-galleries,  and 
the  carpenter-shop. 

All  the  heating,  ventilating,  and  lighting  appliances  known 
to  the  mechanics'  world  are  placed  in  this  theatre.  In  design- 
ing the  ventilating  plant  no  expense  was  spared  to  make  the 
system  a  perfect  one. 

The  theatre  is  heated  mainly  by  the  indirect  system,  while 
a  few  direct-heating  radiators  are  placed  in  the  dressing-rooms, 
lobby,  and  the  rear  of  the  stage,  w^here  the  heated  air  that  is 
blown  into  the  body  of  the  theatre  would  not  be  liable  to 
penetrate. 

There  are  about  1400  square  feet  of  heating  surface  of 
direct  radiators  in  the  building,  and  about  2500  square  feet 


28 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


of  heating  surface  in  especially  designed  coils  for  the  heating- 
chamber  in  the  basement.  About  2,000,000  cubic  feet  of 
air  per  hour  is  drawn  Jrom  the  heating-chamber  by  the  fan 
and  forced  into  the  theatre,  thus  giving  about  660  cubic 
feet  per  person  per  hour,  assuming  the  theatre  to  hold  3000 
persons. 

The  fresh  air  for  the  indirect  system  enters  by  a  loggia 
or  open  gallery  near  the  roof,  and  descends  to  the  heating- 
chamber  in  the  basement  by  means  of  an  X  3^  duct. 
An  iron  damper,  placed  in  the  duct  and  controlled  from  the 
heating-chamber,  prevents  an  upward  current  when  the  fan  is 
at  rest. 

The  air  enters  at  one  end  of  the  chamber  near  the  floor, 
and,  rising,  passes  between  the  inclined  coils  to  the  fan. 

There  is,  however,  an  unobstructed  passage  at  one  side  of 
the  coils,  which  allows  the  greater  part  of  the  air  to  pass 
directly  to  the  fan.  This  passage  can  be  closed  by  a  switch- 
valve  or  door  swinging  on  a  vertical  axis,  and  by  the  partial 
opening  or  closing  of  this  door  the  temperature  of  the  air 
entering  the  theatre  can  be  regulated. 

The  coils  also  being  in  separate  sections,  each  controlled 
by  a  valve,  allows  the  operator  to  use  any  number  at  a  given 
time.  An  opening  through  the  wall  of  the  coil-chamber 
allows  the  passage  of  air  to  the  plenum-chamber. 

A  cone-wheel  fan  8  feet  in  diameter  is  placed  opposite  the 
opening  above  mentioned,  the  shaft  carrying  the  fan  being 
supported  by  a  pillow-and-spider  bearing,  the  fan  being  driven 
by  a  belt  from  a  <^"  X  lo'^  engine. 

The  plenum-chamber,  as  shown  on  the  section,  occupies 
all  the  space  in  the  basement  under  the  auditorium,  the  air 
being  delivered  to  the  parquette  and  circle  by  means  of  341 
openings  under  the  seats,  the  same  method  being  used  for 
the  balcony.  These  openings  are  approximately  under  every 
se:it  in  the  lower  floor  and  every  third  seat  in  the  balcony,  a 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES.  2g 

hood  being  placed  over  each  opening  to  diffuse  the  air  for  the 
comfort  of  the  occupant,  each  opening  having  a  sectional  area 
of  seven  square  inches.  The  air  is  carried  to  the  balcony 
from  the  plenum-chamber  by  vertical  ducts  built  in  the  walls 
of  the  auditorium,  the  largest  of  which  has  a  sectional  area 
of  i6  square  feet,  and  also  supply  fresh  air  to  the  main  halls. 
Radiators,  or  what  may  be  termed  secondary  coils,  are  placed 
in  branch  ducts  to  increase  the  temperature  of  the  air  supplied 
to  the  halls. 

The  foul  air  is  taken  from  under  the  galleries  by  horizontal 
ducts  leading  to  vertical  ones,  and  finally  combine  and  form 
one  circular  flue  30  inches  in  diameter. 

The  greatest  volume  of  foul  air  from  the  auditorium  ceil- 
ing-bell is  carried  by  a  horizontal  duct  leading  to  a  vertical 
flue  having  a  sectional  area  of  24  square  feet,  supplied  with 
damper  and  controlled  by  the  engineer. 

HEATING  AND  VENTILATION. 

Heating  and  ventilation  are  branches  of  science  which 
have  received  thus  far  a  general  acknowledgment,  embody- 
ing principles  of  the  greatest  importance. 

The  ordinary  comprehension  of  ventilation  as  applied  to 
theatres  is  the  introduction  of  fresh  air  and  the  simultaneous  re- 
moval of  vitiated  air.  Air  when  once  passed  through  the  human 
system  is  unfit  for  reinspiration,  that  portion  which  is  emitted 
being  not  only  useless,  but  deleterious  to  health.  On  this  ac- 
count it  becomes  necessary  to  remove  this  vitiated  air  and  to 
substitute  fresh  air,  which  should  be  at  a  temperature  of  60° 
to  65°.  The  vitiated  air  on  being  exhaled  has  a  temperature 
between  80°  and  90°,  and,  being  thereby  rarefied  and  rendered 
lighter,  has  a  tendency  to  rise. 

The  fact  is,  of  course,  a  constant  continuous  mingling  of 
the  vitiated  and  the  fresh  air,  depending  somewhat  on  their 
relative  temperatures  and  densities,  but  mainly  on  the  abso- 


30 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


lute  motion  of  the  air  in  the  room.  A  process  of  dilution  of 
the  vitiated  air  exhaled  by  man  and  the  air  in  the  room  is 
constantly  going  on,  and  the  fresh-air  supply  must  be  adequate 
to  keep  the  air  breathed  by  the  inmates  at  a  proper  standard 
of  purity. 

We  have  no  mode  of  measuring  the  mixed  quantities  of 
impurities  in  the  air  with  precision.  To  come  to  any  near 
approximation  we  must  first  calculate  the  amount  of  carbonic 
acid  contained  in  the  air,  and  allow  that  the  quantum  of  the 
organic  impurities  are  proportional  to  it. 

We  are  informed  by  the  best  hygienists  that  a  room  to  be 
properly  ventilated  should  not  exceed  by  volume  6  to  8  parts 
of  carbonic  acid  in  the  air.  When  the  proportion  rises 
above  six — possibly  eight — the  disagreeable  odor  experienced 
by  every  one  who,  coming  from  the  fresh  external  atmos- 
phere, enters  a  crowded  and  inadequately  ventilated  room  be- 
comes perceptible. 

We  are  also  informed  that  although,  in  poorly  ventilated 
quarters  the  proportion  rises  as  high  as  80  parts  in  10,000,  no 
room  is  properly  ventilated  in  which  the  proportion  is  higher 
than  6  in  10,000,  or  sometimes  8. 

Mr.  A.  R.  Wolff,  M.E.,  states  in  his  treatise  on  ventila- 
tion that  an  ordinary  man  exhales  .6  of  a  cubic  foot  of  car- 
bonic acid  per  hour.  New  York  gas  gives  out  0.75  of  a  cubic 
foot  of  carbonic  acid  for  each  cubic  foot  of  gas  burnt,  or  for 
a  4j-foot  burner  3f  cubic  feet  per  hour.  An  ordinary  lamp 
gives  out  I  cubic  foot  per  hour.  An  ordinary  candle  gives 
0.3  cubic  foot  per  hour.  To  express  it  mathematically,  one. 
ordinary  gaslight  equals  in  vitiating  effect  about  men,  an 
ordinary  lamp  if  men,  and  an  ordinary  candle  man. 

To  appreciate  the  importance  of  this  it  is  but  necessary  to 
recognize  that  an  air-supply  ample  for  six  men  when  there  is 
no  lighting,  would  be  sufficient  for  one  man  when  the  room  is 
lit  by  a  single  gas-burner. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


31 


And  furthermore,  the  value  of  an  incandescent  electric 
light  as  an  illuminant,  in  which  no  vitiation  of  the  atmosphere 
is  caused,  is  at  once  evident. 

Pure  country  air  contains  about  4  parts  of  carbonic  acid  in 
10,000.  Hygienists  calculate  that  3000  cubic  feet  of  fresh  air 
should  be  supplied  by  systematic  ventilation  per  hour  to  each 
person.  In  theatres  and  large  auditoriums,  in  which  the 
cubic  space  per  individual  is  great,  this  may  be  considerably 
reduced. 

Pure  air  penetrates  in  many  ways.  Windows,  doors,  and 
even  brick  walls,  all  permit  the  entrance  of  the  external 
air,  and  thus  without  a  systematic  air-supply  a  large  amount 
of  external  air  enters  to  purify  the  air  in  the  room. 

In  theatres  where  the  air  enters  through  the  steppings  of 
the  galleries  and  auditorium,  and  where  it  can  be  made  to  enter 
through  apertures  in  the  decoration,  it  is  a  comparatively  simple 
matter  to  supply  from  one  to  two  thousand  feet  per  hour  to  each 
person  at  a  low  velocity,  the  quantity  of  fresh  air  supplied 
being  conditioned  on  the  removal  of  the  same  amount  of  air 
from  the  building. 

The  most  active  circulation  and  removal  of  air  by  vent- 
ducts  are  produced  by  exhaust  fans  and  blowers.  Indeed,  for 
theatres  especially,  reliance  should  be  placed  either  on  bring- 
ing in  the  fresh-air  supply  under  pressure  by  means  of  blowers, 
or  by  attaching  exhaust  fans  to  the  vent-ducts  to  create  a 
current  within  them,  or  a  combination  of  both  systems  may 
be  arranged. 

The  ordinary  ratings  of  blowers  supplied  by  the  trade 
range  from  wheels  4  feet  in  diameter,  with  350  revolutions 
per  minute,  and  10,635  cubic  feet  per  minute,  to  wheels  15 
feet  in  diameter,  with  100  revolutions  and  160,000  cubic  feet 
per  minute. 


32 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


PROCTOR'S  PLEASURE  PALACE. 

In  the  heart  of  the  upper  east  side  shopping  district  of 
New  York  a  magnificent  theatre  has  been  designed  and  con- 
structed by  J.  B.  McElfatrick  &  Son,  architects.  The  theatre 
is  known  by  the  name  of  ''Proctor's  Pleasure  Palace,"  and 
stands  upon  the  south  side  of  Fifty-eighth  Street,  between 
Third  and  Lexington  avenues.  For  its  support  it  has  many 
thousands  of  people  to  draw  from,  being  the  only  pretentious 
place  of  amusement  between  Harlem  and  the  lower  portion  of 
the  city  upon  the  east  side.  It  is  between  two  immense 
arteries  of  travel  traversed  by  cable  cars  and  the  elevated 
railway,  with  ample  cross-town  communication.  Magnificent 
hotels  which  beautify  the  plaza  at  the  main  entrance  to 
Central  Park,  and  the  marble  palaces  of  the  Fifth  Avenue 
dwellers,  are  close  at  hand.  Within  a  stone's  throw  are 
luxurious  club-houses  of  the  principal  German  societies. 
Upon  the  north  and  east  is  an  enormous  population  that 
before  had  been  compelled  to  seek  its  amusement  at  remoter 
resorts.  There  is  much  to  attract  all  classes,  for  in  this  new 
house  of  amusement  there  are  combined  the  theatre  proper, 
roof-garden,  German  cafe.  Garden  of  Palms,  and  other 
adjuncts.  It  is  devoted  to  the  latest  fad  in  theatre  per- 
formances of  this  country — continuous  varieties  and  novelties, 
which  continue  from  12  o'clock  noon  until  11.30  P.M. 

The  roof-garden  is  very  large  and  commands  a  superb  view, 
stretching  across  Central  Park  on  the  west  and  over  the  East 
River.  Below  the  main  auditorium  is  the  German  cafe, 
with  a  stage  where  vaudeville  is  presented  at  the  close  of  the 
performance  above  and  also  at  intermissions,  when  refresh- 
ments are  served.  Adjoining  the  theatre  is  the  Garden  of 
Palms,  65  by  100  feet — not  shown  in  the  illustrations — where 


FIFTY-EIGHTH    STREET    FRONT,    PROCTOR'S  PLEASURE 

PALACE. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


33 


distinct  musical  programmes  and  exhibits  are  given,  while 
beneath  this  is  the  divan,  to  be  gorgeously  fitted  up  in 
Oriental  fashion,  with  the  convenient  adjuncts  of  library, 
writing-room  and  stands  for  the  sale  of  flowers,  books,  papers, 
Turkish  coffee  and  other  light  refreshments.  Even  a  barber- 
shop and  boot-blacking  stand  will  occupy  a  convenient 
corner,  with  a  plunge-bath  also  near  at  hand.    A  moderate 


MAIN-FLOOR  PLAN. 

admission  price  allows  a  visitor  to  range  at  will  throughout 
the  entire  building  and  witness  all  the  entertainments. 

The  frontage  is  on  Fifty-eighth  Street,  extending  200 
feet,  with  a  depth  of  lOO  feet  9  inches.  The  architecture 
combines  the  most  picturesque  features  of  the  Romanesque 
and  Renaissance  styles.  The  main  entrance,  at  the  end 
nearest  Third  Avenue,  is  through  a  spacious  stone  arch  24  feet 
wide  by  30  feet  high,  with  a  large  balustrade  overhead. 


34 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


The  main  auditorium  is  reached  through  a  vestibule  and 
lobby  paved  in  mosaic  tile,  with  three  huge  oaken  doors, 
arched  and  illuminated  with  art  glass,  opening  upon  a  foyer 
60  feet  in  length  and  shown  upon  the  ground-floor  plan.  The 
vestibule  mentioned  above  has  an  entrance  over  6  feet  in  width 
leading  to  the  German  cafe  in  the  basement,  and  another  from 
Fifty-eighth  Street,  over  5  feet  wide,  also  leads  to  the  cafe. 


LONGITUDINAL  SECTION. 


The  ground-floor,  in  addition  to  the  entrances,  contains 
foyer,  parquette,  and  parquette  circle,  eight  boxes,  manager's 
room,  toilets,  box-office,  and  superintendent's  office. 

There  are  upon  this  floor  five  emergency  exits :  two  at  the 
back  of  the  foyer,  6  feet  wide,  leading  to  an  open  court  10 
feet  wide,  two  upon  the  left  to  the  same  court,  and  one  large 
exit,  12  feet  wide,  leading  through  a  corridor  to  Fifty-eightk 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


35 


Street.  The  various  stairways  which  lead  to  all  portions  of 
the  building  are  very  large.  Those  in  the  foyer  are  entrances 
to  the  balcony  above,  and  the  one  in  the  centre  to  the  cafe 
below.  These  staircases  are  constructed  of  white  marble 
upon  stringers  of  steel,  guarded  and  ornamented  with  bronze 
hand-rails  and  wrought-iron  scroll  balustrades. 

Two  large  passenger-elevators,  each  accommodating  thirty 
people,  run  constantly  from  basement  to  roof,  landing  at  each 
floor. 

The  parquette  and  circle,  from  curtain-line  to  line  of 
column  in  foyer,  is  74  feet  4  inches  by  74  feet  6  inches  wide,  and 
the  height  of  the  auditorium  from  the  stage  level  to  the  top  is 
49  feet  8  inches. 

From  a  point  on  the  centre-line  of  the  auditorium  6  feet 
from  the  curtain,  a  radius  of  39  feet  5  inches  describes  the 
first  steppings  of  the  parquette  circle.  Each  successive  row 
of  seats,  2  feet  6  inches  wide,  is  described  from  the  same 
point. 

The  seats  of  the  parquette  are  placed  upon  the  floor  with 
a  gradual  slope  of  18  inches  toward  the  orchestra-pit,  and 
arranged  in  rows  2  feet  6  inches  apart,  described  from  a  point 
on  the  centre-line  50  feet  4  inches  back  of  the  curtain. 

The  four  boxes  upon  each  side  of  the  parquette  are  7  feet 
in  diameter,  arranged  in  tiers  as  shown  upon  the  section,  and 
reached  through  small  doors  from  a  passage  2  feet  9  inches 
wide. 

The  proscenium  arch,  with  elaborately  moulded  relief 
work,  is  dotted  with  colored  electric  lights.  A  distinct  novelty 
is  adopted  here;  it  is  what  maybe  called  a  ''double  pros- 
cenium." One  reveals  an  opening  of  34  feet  square,  sufficient 
for  ordinary  performances,  made  to  slide  up  in  side  grooves, 
leaving  an  opening  42  feet  square  should  the  stage  be  required 
for  grand  spectacular  display.  The  sounding-board  is  covered 
with  mythological  figures  painted  upon  canvas  secured  to  a 


36 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


coved  iron  frame,  filled  in  between  with  hollow  fire-proof 
blocks. 

The  stage  is  70  feet  wide,  and  40  feet  deep,  30  feet  to  the 
fly-gallery  and  40  feet  additional  to  the  gridiron.  It  is  fitted 
up  with  every  known  species  of  trap  and  the  latest  labor- 
saving  devices.  It  is  suited  to  every  form  of  performance — 
grand  opera,  romantic  drama,  spectacle,  or  vaudeville. 

At  the  back  is  a  movable  iron  door  (not  shown  upon  the 
illustrations)  made  impervious  to  sound,  which  can  be  opened 
upon  the  stage  in  the  adjacent  Garden  of  Palms.  Certain 
features,  acrobatical,  spectacular,  or  zoological,  as  for  example 
performing  elephants,  can  be  exhibited  upon  this  combined 
stage  and  viewed  simultaneously  by  two  distinct  audiences 
that  will  face  each  other.  In  fact,  the  stage  can,  if  necessary, 
be  extended  back  the  entire  width  of  the  garden.  The 
stage  also  has  its  scene-room,  property-room,  entrances,  and 
freight-elevators  to  the  roof. 

The  dressing-rooms  are  cool,  spacious,  and  fitted  up  with 
marble  lavatories  and  electric-call  bells. 

Under  the  stage  and  rooms  mentioned  above  is  placed  the 
machinery  hall,  containing  the  boilers,  dynamos,  and  engines. 
The  house  is  heated  by  the  direct-blower  system ;  fresh  air  is 
brought  through  an  inlet  4  feet  square,  rising  to  8  feet  above 
the  roof.  Every  appliance  for  cooling  the  auditorium  in  th@ 
summer  has  been  provided.  The  theatre  has  4000  electric 
lights,  of  which  600  are  used  upon  the  stage  for  illuminating 
and  spectacular  effects. 

The  balcony  is  2  i  feet  9  inches  above  the  foyer-level,  and 
is  reached  by  four  staircases  well  arranged  and  commodious. 
The  emergency  exits  all  lead  to  the  fire-escapes.  To  arrange 
the  steppings  of  this  circle  a  radius  of  39  feet  i  inch  was  taken 
from  a  point  upon  the  centre,  6  feet  from  the  curtain-line; 
each  step  above  the  first  is  2  feet  6  inches  wide  by  \o\  inches 
high;  each  successive  rise  increases  \  inch  up  to  17  inches. 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


37 


The  first  or  lower  step  is  2  feet  lo  inches  wide,  bowed  out  in 
front  of  the  centre  aisles  and  at  other  points  each  side. 

One  prominent  feature  is  shown  upon  this  plan  which  needs 
particular  mention,  and  that  is  the  large  outside  balcony  at 
the  Fifty-eighth  Street  side  at  rear  of  the  seats.  In  case  a  fire 
occurs  in  the  theatre  these  balconies  become  a  valuable  means 
of  egress  for  the  audience  and  ingress  for  the  firemen.  Out- 


BALCONY  PLAN. 


side  balconies  should  be  placed  to  every  tier  leading  from 
the  different  galleries,  and  every  division  of  the  audience  should 
have  different  accommodations. 

Some  one  has  said  that  a  theatre  should  be  divided  into 
four  separate  and  distinct  buildings,  separated  by  substantial 
brick  walls  rising  above  the  roof,  and  all  communications  be 
cut  off  by  the  best  known  fire-resisting  means."  First,  there 
should  be  a  fire-proof  auditorium;  second,  a  stage  building; 


38 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


third,  a  fire-proof  building  for  dressing-rooms,  etc. ;  and  fourth, 
a  fire-proof  storage-room  for  scenery,  properties,  etc.,  with 
double  fire-proof  doors ;  and  all  the  four  buildings  provided 
with  large  separate  exits  to  the  open  air — we  might  say  six 
different  buildings,  for,  as  we  have  seen,  the  lower  floor  is 
separate  and  distinct  from  the  balcony  and  gallery. 

The  dressing-rooms,  as  shown  upon  this  plan,  are  seven  in 
number,  separated  by  heavy  masonry  walls  from  any  other 
portion  of  the  building.  They  are  reached  by  staircases  con- 
structed of  iron  and  slate,  3  feet  wide  and  of  short  runs.  The 
smallest  of  these  dressing-rooms  contain  64  square  feet, 
arranged  with  windows  opening  upon  the  outer  air  and  con- 
necting with  balconies  and  fire-escapes.  There  are  also  small 
elevators  in  close  proximity. 

The  boxes,  four  in  number  on  each  side  of  the  auditorium, 
have  separate  iron  staircases. 

The  gallery  over  the  balcony  does  not  extend  as  far  into 
the  auditorium,  but  is  described  from  the  same  point,  42  feet 
8  inches  distant,  the  first  step  being  2  feet  10  inches  wide, 
while  the  successive  steps  in  the  height  are  each  2  feet  6 
inches  wide. 

The  height  from  the  balcony  is  16  feet  i  inch,  and  the 
clear  distance  between  fronts  at  inner  line  of  columns  is  10  feet 
3  inches,  while  the  balcony  at  this  point  from  the  parquette 
circle  is  about  the  same  distance. 

The  rise  of  the  steps  on  this  tier  at  the  centre  varies  from 
17  inches  for  the  lower  to  2  i  inches  for  the  upper,  increasing 
in  height  as  the  sides  of  the  auditorium  are  reached. 

The  equipment  of  this  theatre  leaves  nothing  to  be  de- 
sired. The  lower  floors,  balcony,  and  gallery  all  have  ample 
toilet-rooms ;  comfortable  upholstered  chairs  are  provided  for 
-every  occupant  regardless  of  location. 

Altogether  there  are  some  fifty  exits,  directly  connected 
to  wide,  open  courts,  fire-escapes,  and  the  street.    The  fire- 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


39 


*  escapes  arranged  upon  the  Fifty-eighth  Street  side  are  so 
ingeniously  devised  that  they  do  not  mar  the  architectural 
effect. 

The  aisles  throughout  are  plentiful  and  wide,  with  no  inter- 
secting gangways  and  not  over  ten  or  twelve  seats  in  every 
row  between  aisles. 

The  corridors  behind  each  tier  of  seats  have  sufficient  super- 


GALLERY  PLAN. 


ficial  area  to  hold  the  whole  of  the  occupants  of  each  tier. 
But  the  writer  would  suggest  that  the  corridors  be  separated 
from  each  tier  by  solid  masonry  walls  and  fire-proof  doorways, 
so  that  in  case  of  fire  the  audience,  after  leaving  the  tier, 
would  be  away  from  any  fire  or  smoke  that  fills  the  audito- 
rium. 

As  shown  in  the  plans  all  staircases  are  wide  and  have 


40 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


large  square  landings  with  no  windows,  and  are  constructed 
between  solid  brick  walls. 

In  staircases  the  number  of  steps  in  each  flight  is  all- 
important.  There  should  not  be  over  twelve  steps  in  a  run, 
and  they  should  be  the  same  width  of  passage,  height  of  rise, 
and  width  of  tread.  " 

While  we  are  attracted  by  the  general  roominess  of  every 
portion  of  the  building,  we  are  also  impressed  with  the  sim- 
plicity and  neatness  of  the  decoration,  gold,  cream,  and  pale 
blue  predominating. 

The  entire  seating  capacity  of  the  theatre  proper  is  about 

2100. 


/ 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


41 


HAMMERSTEIN'S  OLYMPIA. 

In  the  short  space  of  ten  months,  beginning  with  February 
1895,  the  large  and  magnificent  amusement  palace  situated  at 
Forty-fourth  street  and  Broadway,  New  York,  was  opened  to 
the  public  on  November  25th. 

The  building  has  a  frontage  of  203  feet  on  Broadway, 
156  feet  on  Forty-fifth  Street,  and  a  little  less  on  Forty-fourth 
Street.  The  greatest  height  of  the  building  is  96  feet  at  the 
centre  of  the  Broadway  side.  The  architecture  follows  the 
lines  of  the  French  Renaissance  period. 

''Olympia"  comprises  three  spacious  auditoriums,  as 
shown  by  the  plans,  under  one  roof,  known  as  Olympia 
Music  Hall,  Olympia  Concert  Hall,  and  Olympia  Theatre, 
where  three  distinct  entertainments  are  given  nightly,  one  ad- 
mission-fee admiitting  to  all. 

In  addition  to  the  above  auditoriums  there  will  be  a  roof- 
garden  with  complete  stage  appointments  and  a  level  floor- 
space  almost  equal  to  the  surface  dimensions  of  the  entire 
building  and  capable  of  seating  several  thousand  persons. 

Below  the  street-level  there  are  cafes,  billiard-rooms, 
bowling-alleys,  and  Turkish  baths. 

The  edifice  is  fire-proof  and  strictly  complies  with  the 
laws  of  the  Building  and  Fire  Departments. 

No  wood  or  inflammable  material  has  been  used  in  the 
structural  portion,  excepting  in  some  parts  over  concreted 
floors.  It  is  provided  with  ample  means  of  escape  in  case  of 
fire  or  panic,  and  has  numerous  exits  on  every  floor  front 
and  back  of  the  curtain-line.  Automatic  sprinklers  are  dis- 
tributed over  all  the  auditoriums,  stages,  fly-galleries,  and 
dressing-rooms,  and  at  any  point  the  building  can  be  deluged 
should  the  temperature  reach  an  abnormal  degree. 

The  building  is  heated  and  ventilated  by  the  rotary-fan 


42 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


process,  which  forces  hot  and  cold  air  through  ducts,  and 
permits  an  even  temperature  at  all  times,  no  matter  what  the 
climatic  conditions  may  be  or  how  densely  the  auditoriums 
may  be  crowded.  The  same  process  drives  impure  air  from 
the  various  auditoriums  through  the  openings  placed  above  the 
ceilings. 

Olympia  is  lighted  by  electricity  supplied  by  four  large 
dynamos  operated  from  vaults  underneath  the  sidewalk. 

The  music  hall  is  on  the  Forty-fifth  Street  side,  occupy- 
ing a  frontage  on  Broadway  of  about  75  feet ;  the  concert 
hall  is  in  the  centre,  and  the  theatre  is  on  the  Forty-fourth 
Street  end.  The  main  entrance  to  the  three  auditoriums, 
as  shown  by  the  plan,  is  through  two  massive  carved  door- 
ways on  the  street-level  in  the  centre  of  the  Broadway  front, 
leading  to  the  marble  foyer.  In  the  centre  of  the  foyer  there 
are  two  immense  passenger-elevators,  which  run  to  the  upper 
floors  and  the  roof-garden.  To  the  right  and  left  are  marble 
staircases  leading  to  the  balconies  and  box-tiers  of  the 
music  hall  and  theatre. 

The  dimensions  of  the  music  hall  are:  auditorium,  70 X 
100  feet;  stage,  43X70  feet;  proscenium  opening,  36X36 
feet ;  height  to  rigging-loft,  80  feet ;  height  to  fly-gallery,  30 
feet. 

The  stage  is  well  stocked  with  scenery  calculated  to  meet 
all  requirements. 

The  dressing-rooms  are  numerous,  well  lighted,  heated, 
and  ventilated,  and  are  a  luxury  compared  with  those  usually 
provided  in  the  average  playhouse. 

Ample  provision  has  been  made  for  seating  in  the  music 
hall.  There  are  six  tiers  of  boxes  and  five  tiers  of  mezza- 
nine boxes,  making  a  total  of  124,  the  largest  number  known 
of  any  single  place  of  amusement.  The  box-tiers  and  balco- 
nies, while  not  too  far  removed  from  the  stage,  do  not  over- 
shadow the  orchestra,  and  are  so  encircled  as  to  allow  freedom 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


43 


of  space  in  the  auditorium,  which  cannot  fail  to  be  agreeable 
to  the  occupants  of  boxes,  as  well  as  those  in  the  chairs 
below.    The  concert  hall  is  85  feet  long,  43  feet  wide,  and 


45  feet  in  height.  It  is  in  the  centre  between  the  music  hall 
and  theatre,  separated  by  courtyards,  and  is  on  a  level  with 
the  first  balcony  tiers,  as  shown  on  plan. 

The  theatre,  situated  at  the  south  end,  has  a  seating  ca« 


44  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

pacity  less  than  the  music  hall,  although  it  contains  eighty- 
four  boxes. 

The  decorative  scheme  is  blue  and  gold,  in  the  softest 


BALCONY-FLOOR  PLAN. 


tints  and  most  delicate  color  effects.  Carpets,  chairs,  and 
hangings  are  all  blue. 

Back  of  the  footlights  everything  is  as  complete  as  human 
ingenuity  could  make  it.  The  dimensions  of  the  theatre  are 
as  follows:  auditorium,  60  X  68  feet;  proscenium  opening, 
32X32  feet;  stage,  31X60  feet;  height  to  rigging-loft,  80 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


45 


feet ;  height  to  fly-gallery,  30  feet.  The  general  arrangement 
of  the  different  balconies  is  shown  by  the  section. 

The  stucco  work  used  in  the  interior  decoration  of  the  en- 
tire building  is  one  of  the  beautiful  and  artistic  features  of 
this  immense  amusement  temple.  The  sculptural  groups, 
figures,  and  designs  which  decorate  the  boxes  and  prosceniums 
in  the  various  auditoriums  make  the  interior  appear  very  at- 
tractive. 

The  designs  were  made  after  the  style  in  vogue  during  the 
reigns  of  Louis  XIV.  ,  Louis  XV.,  and  Louis  XVL,  and  liv- 
ing models  were  employed  for  the  life-size  groups  and  figures. 
In  the  decorative  scheme  that  has  been  followed  the  music 
hall  is  Louis  XIV.,  the  concert  hall  Louis  XV.,  and  the 
theatre  Louis  XVI. 

The  music  hall  is  highly  decorated.  The  walls  and  ceil- 
ings are  rich  in  panels  of  beautiful  designs.  A  massive 
chandelier  depends  from  a  rosette  surrounded  by  dancing  cu- 
pids.  A  heroic  female  figure  upholds  the  forty-eight  boxes, 
which  are  all  different  in  design. 

The  proscenium  panels,  as  technically  described  by  deco- 
rators, are  round  form  at  top  and  bottom,  with  a  slight  square 
break,  v/ith  motifs  in  relief  ornamenting  the  base,  the  middle 
and  top  having  a  bold  cartouche  with  hanging  laurel  pendants 
at  either  side.  The  carved  and  undulating  Louis  XIV.  lines 
are  easily  recognized  in  the  lyre  crossed  by  two  flutes  which 
appear  to  grow  from  the  top  of  the  cartouche. 

The  base  is  decorated  with  a  rich  design,  a  semi  bas-relief, 
consisting  of  an  ornamental  pedestal  on  which  rests  a  vase 
with  dolphin  handles.  Japanese  dragons  crouch  at  each  side 
of  the  base. 

The  panel  is  surmounted  with  a  female  head  at  the  top, 
decidedly  French  "  in  its  expression,  on  whose  forehead 
rests  a  star,  with  festoons  of  flowers  hanging  at  either  side. 
Below  this  will  be  found  suspended  by  cupid's  chains  an 


46 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


emblem,  of  which  a  classic  shield,  cupid's  bow,  arrows,  etc., 
form  its  composition.  Its  alternate  strong  and  low  reliefs 
and  soft  lines,  with  plain  grounds  well  distributed,  at  once 
betray  to  the  layman  the  quality  of  its  execution.  The  main 
group  over  the  proscenium  arch  represents  Poetry  and  Prose 
being  crowned  by  the  goddess  Fame.  Its  dimensions  are 
24  X  10  feet. 

A  panel  of  cupids  forms  the  frieze  extending  all  around 
the  concert  hall.  In  the  decorative  scheme  here  cupids, 
lutes,  lyres,  etc.,  all  figure  prominently.  At  the  corners  of 
the  hall  are  four  female  figures,  twelve  feet  in  height,  with 
arms  extended,  each  supporting  a  large  crystal  chandelier. 

Four  large  mirrors  are  set  in  the  sides  between  the  pilas- 
ters, and  the  ceiling  is  elaborately  decorated  in  floral  designs. 

The  theatre  is  in  white  and  gold,  also  elaborately  deco- 
rated in  floral  designs  and  ornamented  with  statuary  and 
relief  figures  representing  the  muse  of  the  drama.  The  walls 
of  the  theatre  are  covered  with  ornamental  designs  in  medal- 
lions and  panels. 

The  base  of  the  proscenium  arch  in  the  theatre,  style 
Louis  XVI.,  is  modelled  on  a  convexed  surface,  inclosed 
on  the  one  hand  by  a  rich  old-gold  leaf-moulding  and  bead, 
on  the  other  by  a  flower-band  standing  out  almost  free, 
which  run  up  on  each  side  of  the  arch  to  a  point  in  the 
middle  of  the  top. 

Motif  composed  of  classic  Louis  Seize  vase  in  bas-relief,, 
in  which  kneels  a  cupid  in  perspective;  a  dove,  drapery,  and 
a  liberal  quantity  of  flowers  finish  the  whole. 

The  music  hall  has  a  seating  capacity  of  about  1625,  in 
seats  arranged  as  follows:  first  floor,  576  chairs,  16  boxes; 
first  box-tier,  32  boxes,  160  people;  second  box-tier,  32 
boxes,  being  similar  to  the  first  box-tier;  balcony,  210  chairs, 
40  boxes,  410  people;  gallery,  165  chairs,  12  boxes,  225 
people.    In  addition  to  the  above  there  is  934  square  feet  of 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


47 


standing-room.  The  stoppings  of  the  first-floor  plan  are 
arranged  somewhat  differently  from  those  of  any  theatre 
heretofore  illustrated,  in  that  those  in  the  centre,  or  parquette 
circle,  are  described  from  a  point  on  the  centre-line,  37  feet 
6  inches  from  the  curtain-line,  while  those  right  and  left  of 
the  centre  are  described  by  a  line  extending  from  the  same 
point  13  feet  8 J  inches  distant,  11  feet  4  inches  back  on  the 
centre-line,  and  7  feet  4  inches  right  and  left  of  the  centre- 
line. 

The  stoppings  of  the  parquette  and  circle  are  3  feet  4 
inches  wide. 

The  seating  capacity  of  the  theatre  is  about  1000,  in  seats 
as  follows:  first  floor,  371  chairs,  6  boxes,  401  people;  first 
and  second  box-tiers,  22  boxes  each,  iio  people  each;  bal- 
cony, 106  chairs,  28  boxes,  248  people;  gallery,  77  chairs,  8 
boxes,  117  people.  In  addition  there  is  about  900  square 
feet  of  standing-room.  The  stoppings  of  the  different  tiers 
are  about  2  feet  8  inches  wide. 

The  stairways  connecting  the  first  and  second  balconies  in 
both  buildings  are  easy  and  about  6  feet  6  inches  wide, 
placed  as  shown  upon  the  plans,  and  are  not  included  in  the 
square  feet  of  standing-room  mentioned  above. 

There  is  no  standard  in  this  country  by  which  the  Olympia 
can  be  measured.  No  theatrical  management  ever  before 
offered  the  public  such  a  diversified  scheme  of  amusement  in 
such  a  building  as  this. 


48  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


THE  GAIETY  THEATRE. 

The  evening  of  the  24th  day  of  March,  1894,  the  Gaiety 
Theatre  of  Boston  was  opened  for  the  inspection  and  admira- 
tion of  over  two  thousand  invited  guests,  and  was  formally 
opened  to  the  public  on  the  following  Monday,  March  26th. 
It  was  designed  and  constructed  by  J.  B.  McElfatrick  &  Son, 
architects.  This  palatial  playhouse  for  continuous  perform- 
ances "  is  splendidly  located  on  Washington  Street,  Boston's 
principal  thoroughfare,  in  the  heart  of  the  shopping  district, 
and  having  as  its  nearest  neighbors  that  famous  hostelry  the 
Adams  House,  which  adjoins  it  on  the  south,  and  the  Boston 
Theatre  on  the  north  side. 

At  each  side  of  the  loggia,  or  outermost  portion  of  the 
grand  entrance,  is  a  circular  ticket-office,  composed  of  Sienna 
marble  and  plate  glass,  set  off  with  ornate  designs  in  silver 
and  surmounted  with  a  dome  beautifully  designed  in  stereo- 
relief,  with  decorations  in  ivory  and  gold.  The  floor  of  the 
loggia  is  inlaid  mosaic  in  a  small  detached  pattern,  and  the 
wainscoting,  of  Sienna  marble  rich  in  coloring,  is  broken  on 
either  side  by  mirrors  of  heroic  size,  reaching  from  the  floor 
to  the  beautifully  decorated  ceiling. 

At  the  right  of  this  entrance  is  the  Bureau  of  Infor- 
mation," where  may  be  found  the  telephone,  messenger-call, 
writing-desks,  with  all  appurtenances — directories,  time- 
tables and  guide-books,  etc. 

Heavy  doors  in  ornate  design  in  stained  glass  and  stereo- 
relief  work  open  in  the  lobby  foyer,  the  prevailing  tint  of 
which  is  Nile  green.  On  the  right  are  conveniences  for 
checking  wraps,  umbrellas,  parcels,  etc. ;  on  the  left  is  an  or- 
namental fireplace,  with  marble  mantle  and  large  plate  mirror, 
surmounted  by  an  exquisite  design  in  stereo-relief.  Still 


FRONT  OF  GAIETY  THEATRE. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


49 


another  set  of  doors  leads  to  the  main  foyer,  which  is  unques- 
tionably the  most  magnificent  apartment  connected  with  any 
amusement  palace.  The  walls  are  treated  in  rich  old-rose, 
the  surfaces  of  which  are  broken  alternately  at  regular 
intervals  by  mirrors  and  superb  panel  paintings.  The  floor 
is  of  white  marble  tiling,  and  the  same  handsome,  expensive 
marble  wainscoting  that  distinguishes  the  before-mentioned 
approaches  is  used  here.  Here  also,  as  in  every  other  portion 
of  the  edifice,  lavish  use  of  electricity  as  an  illuminating  medium 
is  strongly  in  evidence.  There  are  over  three  hundred  incan- 
descent lamps  in  this  apartment  alone,  the  fixtures  of  which 
are  of  brass,  with  richly  burnished  gold  finish,  furnished  from 
special  designs  of  the  Louis  XV.  order,  conforming  with  the 
general  decorative  scheme  of  the  house.  On  the  left  of  this 
apartment  are  four  business  offices,  and  at  the  extreme  end  a 
marble  staircase  leads  to  the  first  balcony. 

Another  set  of  swinging  doors  of  ornate  design,  covered 
with  leather  and  resplendent  with  solid  silver  plates,  admits 
to  the  orchestra  reception-room. 

At  the  right  is  a  broad  staircase  leading  to  the  balcony. 
A  few  steps  beyond  and  one  enters  into  a  suite  of  three 
sumptuously  furnished  apartments  reserved  exclusively  for 
the  use  of  ladies,  the  central  one  of  which  is  a  cosey  dress- 
ing-room, fitted  with  all  the  toilet  conveniences. 

To  the  left  of  this  grand  reception-hall  is  a  lofty  magnifi- 
cently carved  mantelpiece  of  finest  oak,  in  the  tiled  fireplace 
of  which  burns  a  mammoth  gas-log,  and  close  by  is  an 
antique  writing-desk  holding  stationery,  writing  materials, 
and  stamps,  for  the  convenience  of  the  visitors.  A  flight  of 
marble  steps  leads  to  the  men's  lavatories  and  the  smoking- 
room,  both  of  which  are  models  of  comfort  and  neatness,  the 
latter  being  kept  constantly  supplied  with  all  the  leading 
daily  papers. 

Three  immense  archways  form  the  entrance  to  the  spaciou-s 


50 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


auditorium,  the  walls  of  which  are  in  green  and  rose  ii? 
brocaded  silk  effect.  The  wainscoting  and  the  railing  back  ot 
the  orchestra  is  of  cherry,  the  latter,  as  well  as  the  private 
boxes  and  balcony-rails,  being  upholstered  in  soft  green  plush, 
and  all,  with  the  exception  of  the  orchestra-rail,  being  sur- 
mounted with  ornamental  metal-work. 

The  floor  is  covered  with  an  English  Melton  carpet,  har- 
monizing in  design  and  color  with  the  prevailing  tints  of  the 
walls. 

The  balcony  is  supported  with  nine  ornamental  iron  pillars, 
and  the  ceiling  is  made  attractive  by  exquisite  designs  in 
hand-painting  and  stereo-relief.  The  fronts  of  the  first  and 
second  balconies  are  treated  in  white  and  gold,  as  are  also  the 
private  boxes,  of  which  there  are  twelve,  six  on  either  side, 
luxuriously  furnished  and  artistically  embellished  in  costly 
silks  and  lace  designs. 

Over  the  proscenium  are  three  more  magnificent  paintings, 
heroic  in  size,  the  compositions  being  formed  of  draped  female 
figures  in  a  series  of  three  panels.  The  centre  one  is  em- 
blematical of  dancing,  that  to  the  right  of  comedy,  and  that 
to  the  left  of  music.  The  lofty  ceiling  is  richly  decorated 
and  is  made  attractive  by  a  unique  electrolier,  designed  in  the 
form  of  a  system  of  intricate  scrollwork  in  stereo-relief  reach- 
ing nearly  across  the  theatre,  ornamented  in  gold  and  con- 
taining one  hundred  and  eighty  incandescent  lamps. 

The  same  lavish  decoration  that  prevails  in  the  orchestra 
section  of  the  auditorium  extends  to  the  first  balcony,  in  the 
rear  of  which  is  an  apartment  for  ladies  and  the  same  toilet 
conveniences  as  on  the  first  floor.  Here,  also,  is  a  grand 
reception-room. 

The  exclusive  features  of  this  palatial  playhouse  are  nu- 
merous. Although  it  is  unquestionably  as  near  fire-proof  as 
human  skill  could  make  it,  even  the  remote  contingency  of 
fire  has  been  taken  into  consideration,  and  with  such  good 


OJF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


51 


effect  that  it  is  estimated  that  the  house,  seating  nearly  three 
thousand  people,  could  be  emptied  in  three  minutes. 

The  main  floor-plan  describes  the  general  outlay  of  the 
structure.  The  auditorium  is  77  feet  wide,  80  feet  8  inches 
from  curtain-line  to  back  of  parquette  circle,  and  47  feet  4 
inches  from  stage  floor-level  to  dome.  There  are  three  main 
entrance-doors  from  the  foyer,  8  feet  wide  each,  and  three 
emergency  exits,  6  feet  wide  each,  leading  to  Gaiety  Place. 
Those  on  the  two  upper  tiers  open  upon  wide  iron  fire- 
escapes  of  the  most  approved  pattern,  so  that  practically  this 
side  of  the  house  could  be  thrown  open  at  a  moment's  notice. 
There  is  also  a  public  exit  to  Mason  Street  on  the  opposite 
side,  and  four  exits  from  the  stage  which  could  be  utilized  in 
case  of  necessity,  as  well  as  the  main  exit  to  Washington 
Street. 

In  addition,  almost  every  appliance  for  extinguishing  fire 
known  to  science  is  at  hand  at  all  times,  and  the  stage,  be- 
sides being  provided  with  a  fire-proof  curtain,  could  in  ten 
seconds  be  drenched  with  a  perfect  torrent  of  water. 

The  stage  is  60  feet  wide,  42  feet  deep,  and  70  feet  in 
height  from  the  floor-level  to  the  rigging-loft,  the  fly-galleries 
being  arranged  as  shown  on  the  section.  The  first  fly-gallery 
is  8  feet,  the  second  18,  and  the  third  28  feet,  respectively, 
from  the  stage-level. 

There  are  five  dressing-rooms,  a  chorus  and  a  property  room 
upon  the  first  floor,  and  ten  other  dressing-rooms  arranged  on 
the  fly-gallery  levels,  each  one  having  outside  ventilation  and 
being  provided  with  marble  wash-bowls,  hot  and  cold  water, 
and  other  conveniences  necessary  to  the  players.  There  are 
toilet-rooms  fitted  with  all  the  latest  improvements;  and  a 
feature  which  is  a  decided  novelty  is  an  elegantly  appointed 
bathroom  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  performers.  The  stage 
itself  is  roomy  and  is  fitted  with  all  the  modern  appliances. 

One  of  the  most  important  features  of  the  establishment  is 


52 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


the  system  of  electrical  illumination,  the  magnitude  of  which 
can  be  better  appreciated  when  it  is  known  that  there  are  in 
constant  use  in  the  various  parts  of  the  building  nearly  five 
thousand  incandescent  lamps  and  forty  powerful  arc  lamps. 

SEATING. 

No  one  except  those  who  have  designed  and  constructed 
the  galleries  of  a  theatre  are  able  to  understand  how  difficult  it 
is  to  place  every  seat  in  a  position  so  that  its  occupant  is  able 
to  see  and  hear  with  ease.  In  the  Gaiety,  as  well  as  in  the 
other  theatres  herein  illustrated,  the  seats  are  arranged  in  a 
practical  and  artistic  manner,  and,  last  but  not  least,  comfort 
for  the  occupants  has  been  well  considered.  Every  audience 
should  be  seated  so  that  a  feeling  of  comfort  and  relaxation 
is  produced,  and  that  the  effects  of  an  entertainment  can  be 
enjoyed  at  ease.  Then,  again,  methods  of  ingress  should 
avoid  the  uncomfortable  disturbance  of  one  half  the  audi- 
ence to  suit  the  other  half.  But  as  no  immediate  danger 
exists  in  seating  an  audience,  their  egress  should  receive  the 
more  carefully  studied  consideration,  for  it  must  give  oppor- 
tunity for  sudden  haste  without  creating  a  jam  and  confusion 
which  ordinary  discretion  and  precautionary  measures  can 
overcome. 

The  people  realize  the  improvements  which  have  been 
made  in  the  last  few  years  in  the  manner  of  seating  theatres. 
From  the  plain,  hard,  wooden  benches  which  formerly  were 
used  in  places  of  this  kind  we  have  come  to  the  luxuriously 
upholstered  opera  and  assembly  chairs  and  folding  seats. 
For  example,  the  automatic  assembly  chair,  a  chair  having 
the  following  distinct  features:  the  retreating  or  selfTfolding 
seat  is  operated  at  the  will  of  the  occupant;  it  folds  into  a 
minimum  of  space  by  slightly  pressing  the  edge  of  the  seat 
with  the  limbs  in  the  natural  act  of  rising;  it  is  noiseless  and 
does  not  require  the  strength  of  a  Samson  to  fold  the  seat. 


\ 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


Chairs  are  made  i8,  19,  20,  and  21  inches  wide;  that  is,  an 
18-inch  chair  refers  to  the  distance  from  centre  of  one  arm  to 
the  centre  of  the  next. 

To  prevent  the  irregularities  in  the  aisles,  different  widths 
of  chairs  are  used,  which  difference  is  not  noticeable  when 
the  chairs  are  set  up  in  a  row. 

The  chairs  are  so  nearly  put  together  before  leaving  the 
factory  that  any  mechanic  can  complete  the  work  at  the  build- 
ing, especially  when  full  printed  directions  are  furnished  by^ 
the  makers. 

The  distance  allowed  in  setting  chairs  back  to  back  is  29 
to  31  inches;  automatic  tilting  backs,  from  25  to  30  inches. 

The  average  weight,  upholstered,  is  from  30  to  35  pounds- 
each;  tilting-back  veneer  chairs,  such  as  are  commonly  used 
in  top  galleries,  from  25  to  30  pounds  each. 

One  of  the  newest  improvements  in  chairs  is  a  double-seat 
sofa  or  divan,  made  in  lengths  of  from  36  to  42  inches,  meas- 
urements being  taken  from  the  centre  of  one  arm  to  the  centre 
of  the  next. 

Another  improvement  is  made  in  the  seats  of  the  im- 
proved chairs;  a  twisted  wire  spring  is  used  in  place  of  the 
spiral,  so  that  very  little  stuffing  is  required  on  top;  the 
seat  having  no  chance  to  pack  down,  allows  full  circulation 
of  air  and  always  remains  sweet  and  clean.  It  also  has  an 
even  bearing  surface,  the  advantages  of  which  are  self- 
evident. 

The  writer  remembers  once  using  an  automatic  chair 
where  the  seat  rose  sideways,  leaving  the  gangway  the  full 
width  of  the  chair  between  adjacent  standards. 

A  MARBLE  ENGINE-ROOM. 

The  handsomest  and  most  expensive  engine-room  in  the 
way  of  appointments  in  this  country  to-day  will  be  found  in 
this  theatre.    It  is  a  veritable  marble  palace,  fitted  up  witk 


S4  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

luxury,  elegance,  and  artistic  taste.  Its  beauty  excites  ex- 
pressions of  delight  and  wonder  from  the  thousands  who  weekly 
visit  the  rooms  and  linger  to  enjoy  them,  regardless  of  the 
other  attractions  of  the  theatre.  In  fact,  the  highest  com- 
pliment that  can  be  paid  to  it  is  that  it  contains  the  best  work 
of  E.  W.  Maynard,  who  has  a  national  reputation  as  a  theatre 
architect,  having  designed,  among  other  noted  theatres  of 
Boston,  the  Castle  Square  and  the  Tremont. 

Starting  from  the  main  theatre  entrance,  we  pass  down 
a  marble  staircase  and  through  a  long  corridor,  for  the  engine- 
room  is  32  feet  below  the  street-level.  The  corridor  has  a 
marble  floor  and  a  panelled  wainscoting  of  white,  above  which 
the  walls  are  tinted  in  rose,  shading  from  a  deep  color  at  the 
base  to  a  very  light,  in  fact  almost  cream,  shade  at  the  frieze 
which  surmounts  it. 

Passing  along  this  corridor  we  enter  the  reception-room, 
which  is  formed  by  an  alcove  20  feet  square,  opening  into  the 
engine-room  proper.  The  floor  is  of  white  marble,  as  also  is 
the  wainscoting  to  a  height  of  4  feet.  Above  the  wainscoting 
the  walls  are  shaded  from  a  mild  green  to  a  light  pink.  The 
furnishings  of  this  room  are  costly  and  elegant. 

Electroliers,  covered  by  opalescent  globes,  throw  a  soft 
light  about  the  room,  heightening  its  beauty. 

The  whole  of  one  side  of  the  reception-room  is  taken  up 
by  a  white  marble  switchboard,  consisting  of  three  white 
marble  slabs  10  by  4  feet. 

Upon  the  board  are  mounted  three  looo-ampere  double- 
pole  switches.  These  main  switches  feed  the  current  from 
the  large  generators  to  large  bussbars  in  the  back  of  the 
board.  These  bussbars  further  connect,  by  smaller  ones, 
to  sixty-six  lOO-ampere  single-throw  double-pole  switches. 
These  are  connected  in  the  rear  of  the  board  to  the  same 
number  of  cut-outs,  which  are  mounted  on  slate.  These 
switches  are  all  quick-break,  and  are  constructed  of  copper 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


55 


and  phosphor-bronze,  nickel-plated  and  highly  polished.  The 
handles  are  made  of  highly-polished  hard  rubber,  having  the 
appearance  of  ebony. 

At  the  top  of  the  board  are  mounted  sixty-six  so-called 
pilot-lamps.  These  are  so  arranged  as  to  form  a  double  scroll, 
giving  a  most  artistic  appearance.  There  are  also  three  Wes- 
ton illuminated-dial  ampere-meters,  having  a  capacity  of  looo 
amperes  each,  a  three-way  switch,  and  an  illuminated-dial 
volt-meter,  by  which  the  potential  of  either  dynamo  can  be 
measured. 

The  stage  switchboard  is  6  by  7  feet,  mounted  on  the 
wall. 

On  this  board  are  thirty-four  50  -  ampere  double-pole 
swiic'.ies,  and  also  twenty-seven  regulators  to  control  the 
stage  and  auditorium  lights.  The  construction  and  combina- 
tion of  the  switches  is  such  that,  by  main  levers  and  couplings 
connecting  indicator-switches,  all  switches  can  be  thrown  at 
one  operation,  and  also  closed,  thereby  producing  instanta- 
neous darkness  in  the  house,  or  gradual  changes  from  red  illu- 
mination to  blue  or  white  on  the  stage. 

Passing  from  the  alcove  reception-room  we  enter  the 
engine-room  proper  on  a  gallery  extending  entirely  around  it, 
on  the  same  level  as  the  room  we  have  left.  The  floors,  like 
the  reception-room,  are  of  white  marble  and  tinted  in  the 
same  manner.  Surrounding  the  engines  is  a  large  nickel- 
plated  railing,  along  which  are  placed  at  intervals  newels  sup- 
porting hammered-brass  electroliers. 

There  are  three  engines  and  generators,  direct-connected; 
that  is,  without  any  belting.  The  cylinders  of  engines  being 
I  si  inches  in  diameter,  14  inches  stroke,  and  the  generator  of 
100  K.  W.  capacity.  The  engines,  without  the  dynamos, 
weigh  10  tons  each;  the  floor-space  for  each  being  over  80 
square  feet. 

The  mechanical  work  throughout  this  entire  plant  for  the 


56 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


building  is  perfect.  There  is  nothing  unsightly  or  painful  to 
the  mechanical  eye — no  nickel-plated  work  except  the  lubri- 
cators and  trimmings,  but  everything  is  metal  finish,  and 
shows  not  only  the  amount  of  labor  but  also  care  and  attention. 
In  fact,  for  elegance,  utility,  beauty,  and  artistic  worth,  the 
two  rooms,  with  their  furnishings,  surpass  any  of  their  kind 
known. 

Shorn  of  the  technicalities  which  would  be  confusing  to 
the  average  reader,  the  above  is  a  description  of  the  machinery 
and  the  interesting  spot  in  which  it  is  located.  It  is  a  wonder- 
shop  of  marble  and  swiftly  moving  steel  32  feet  underground, 
as  heretofore  mentioned,  and  in  proximity  to  a  battery  of 
boilers,  but  so  well  ventilated  that  presence  in  it  is  a  pleasure. 
The  absolute  cleanliness  which  pervades  every  nook  and  corner 
of  the  building  is  a  matter  of  comment,  and,  although  thou- 
sands of  people  cross  the  threshold  daily,  that  same  bright, 
fresh,  and  wholesome  appearance  so  noticeable  at  the  opening 
is  still  apparent. 

As  may  well  be  imagined,  this  condition  of  affairs  is  only 
maintained  by  the  exercise  of  the  utmost  vigilance  and  the 
carrying  out  of  a  carefully  arranged  system  of  routine  work. 
There  are  115  attaches  connected  with  the  theatre;  and  as 
fully  one  half  the  number  are  employed  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  keeping  up  the  high  standard  of  neatness,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  impossibility  of  the  accumulation  of  dirt  is 
apparent. 


SECTION  PROSCENIUM  AND  PRIVATE  BOXES,  GAIETY  THEATRE. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEA  TEES, 


S7 


THE  ABBEY  THEATRE. 

The  Abbey  Theatre,  corner  of  Broadway  and  Thirty-eighth 
Street,  the  newest  of  the  places  of  amusement  for  which  New 
York  is  noted,  combines  in  its  planning  and  decorations  all 
the  comforts  and  beauties  required  by  the  theatre-going 
public. 

The  seating  capacity  is  1450. 

The  work  of  demolishing  the  old  buildings  upon  which  the 
new  structure  stands  was  commenced  May  i,  1893;  in  the 
short  space  of  6  months  and  8  days  the  new  theatre  was  opened 
by  Henry  Irving  and  Ellen  Terry  in  Lord  Tennyson's  play 
BeckeL 

This  theatre  is  one  of  the  first  to  be  completed  since  the 
enactment  of  the  new  law  relating  to  the  building  of  theatres. 
The  law  is  stricter  than  any  of  its  predecessors,  and  in  the 
case  of  the  Abbey  Theatre  has  been  rigidly  enforced.  The 
exterior  of  the  theatre  presents  a  six-story  office  building  of 
light  stone. 

A  new  feature  in  regard  to  the  exits  has  been  introduced. 
All  the  doors  are  controlled  by  electric  openers ;  by  pressing 
a  button  on  the  stage,  or  from  either  of  two  stations  on  each 
tier,  in  the  manager's  office  or  box-office,  all  the  doors  will  fly 
open. 

It  is  calculated  that  a  large  audience  can  get  out  of  the 
theatre  in  a  minute  and  a  half  by  using  the  various  exits. 

To  prevent  fire  that  might  arise  on  the  stage  from  extend- 
ing into  the  auditorium  the  asbestos  curtain  demanded  by  law 
has  been  provided,  and  as  a  further  precaution  two  large  win- 
dows or  skylights  have  been  placed  on  the  roof  over  the  stage, 
and  so  built  that  when  not  pressed  down  they  will  fly  open.. 


58 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


A  light  rope  has  been  attached  to  each  and  carried  down  to 
the  stage.  By  applying  a  match  or  using  a  penknife  these 
ropes  are  loosened,  whereupon  the  windows  will  fly  open.  In 
case  of  fire  upon  the  stage — the  asbestos  curtain  being  down — 
the  draught  would  all  be  directly  through  the  windows, 
and  it  would  be  impossible  for  the  flames  to  go  in  any  other 
direction  than  upward.  Every  precaution  has  been  taken  to 
guard  against  fire,  and  the  entire  building  is  as  nearly  fire-proof 
as  possible.  The  heating  is  by  an  indirect-blower  apparatus, 
and  the  lighting  is  by  electricity  furnished  by  a  special  plant 
under  the  sidewalk. 

The  lights  can  be  absolutely  controlled,  and  can  be  raised 
or  lowered  as  perfectly  as  gas.  The  wires  are  insulated,  and 
carried  through  the  building  in  brass  tubes. 

For  a  modern  theatre  a  suitable  site  is  the  most  important. 
If  on  the  inside  lots  of  a  city  block  between  streets,  lO  to  12 
feet  should  separate  a  theatre  from  contiguous  buildings. 
The  corner  site  is  to  be  preferred.  To  successfully  design  a 
plan,  a  general  knowledge  of  the  internal  workings  of  such 
buildings  must  be  first  acquired.  The  representative  of 
each  department  should  be  consulted. 

The  plans  should  be  such  that  masonry  walls  separate  the 
auditorium,  entrances,  staircases,  stage  workshops,  and  dress 
ing-rooms,  and  when  practicable  these  walls  should  be  carried 
up  through  the  roof.    In  the  case  of  the  proscenium  wall  this 
is  imperative. 

Construct  all  roofs  as  flat  as  possible,  connected  with  flights 
of  iron  platforms  and  stairways.  The  most  approved  plan 
should  be  lighted  by  means  of  windows  in  every  part. 

The  auditorium,  stage,  and  dressing-rooms  should  be  suffi- 
ciently lighted  from  the  outer  air  to  conduce  to  ventilation 
and  cleanliness. 

Entrances  and  exits  are  all-important. 

The  safety  of  an  audience  depends  more  upon  judiciously 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES, 


59 


arranged  means  of  egress  than  upon  any  precautionary  system 
of  fire-appliances  or  fire-resisting  construction. 

Panic  may  develop  itself  at  any  moment  without  adequate 
cause;  consequently  there  should  be  means  of  escape  from  the 
building  sufficient  to  withstand  the  sudden  and  extraordi- 
nary pressure  of  a  stampede  without  the  exits  becoming  con- 
gested. With  this  in  view  it  seems  that  the  present  New 
York  Building  Law  has  been  well  considered. 

Next  to  making  proper  provision  for  the  audience  the 
stage  and  its  appurtenances  should  be  made  as  fire-proof  as 
possible.  If  it  were  possible  to  construct  all  the  scenery  and 
its  workings  of  iron,  we  would  have  our  present  theatres  as 
near  perfection  as  it  is  possible  to  make  them. 

To  provide  a  system  of  fire-proofing  for  the  stage  a  new 
substance  called  the  Martin  Process" — a  paint  containing 
salts  and  a  pure  zinc-white  properly  ground  in  oil — is  fre- 
quently applied.  It  is  a  discovery  of  the  French  chemist 
Prof.  Abel  Jean  Martin  of  Paris,  and  secured  by  letters  patent 
in  the  United  States.  We  are  informed  that  the  French 
Government  has  adopted  the  use  of  the  Martin  process,  and 
its  use  has  been  made  compulsory  in  all  theatres,  opera 
houses,  and  public  places  of  amusement  in  France. 

Prof.  L.  M.  Norton  of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology  made  some  experiments  of  the  above  process, 
and  from  his  report  we  find  that  three-quarter-inch  kiln-dried 
pine  was  used  in  every  experiment.  He  applied  three  coats  of 
the  solution  ;  after  drying  thoroughly,  he  tested  the  board,  and 
was  unable  to  ignite  it  by  a  burner  until  the  outer  part  was 
thoroughly  carbonized.  Treated  with  naphtha  and  set  on 
fire,  the  naphtha  burned  completely  away  without  setting  the 
board  on  fire. 

Prof.  R.  Ogden  Doremus  also  made  a  few  experiments, 
and  found  that  after  liquid  No.  i  was  applied  to  lace  curtains, 
calicoes,  muslins,  and  mosquito  netting  of  different  colors,  the 


60  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

goods  retained  their  characteristic  properties  and  colors. 
When  dried  they  were  not  inflammable.  Various  papers, 
plain,  printed,  and  engraved,  also  written  documents,  were 
immersed  in  solution  No.  2  without  altering  their  appearance; 
when  dried  they  were  not  inflammable. 

Pieces  of  wood  were  soaked  with  liquid  No.  3  ;  others  were 
placed  in  the  liquid,  and  the  air  in  the  pores  of  the  wood  was 
removed  by  means  of  an  air-pump ;  the  pressure  of  the  atmos- 
phere was  then  restored,  thus  forcing  the  saline  solution  to 
impregnate  the  wood  more  thoroughly.  The  specimens  were 
then  dried,  when  the  wood  was  found  to  be  almost  incombus- 
tible. 

It  does  not  come  within  the  scope  of  this  volume  to  enter 
upon  a  disquisition  as  to  the  style  of  architecture  dr  decora- 
tion suitable  for  theatres,  but  one  matter  calling  for  improve- 
ment is  the  act-drop,"  or  substitute  for  a  curtain.  When 
these  curtains  are  drawn  up,  the  actors  are  discovered  legs  first 
and  decapitated  at  the  first  descent.  Neither  landscapes, 
men,  nor  animals  are  admissible  for  purposes  of  decoration. 

For  the  gradual,  pleasing,  and  artistic  development  of  the 
stage  picture  tableau  curtains"  add  considerably  to  the  ef- 
fectiveness of  the  interior,  when  made  with  rich  material,  har- 
monizing in  color  with  the  auditorium  decorations. 

PARQUETTE  AND  PARQUETTE-CIRCLEo 

While  managers  regard  the  lower  floor  the  backbone"  of 
the  theatre,  it  is  not  consistent  with  public  comfort  that  the 
seats  in  the  circle  should  recede  to  any  great  extent  under  the 
overhanging  balcony.  Those  occupying  these  back  seats  are 
subjected  to  inconveniences  not  experienced  by  the  occupants 
of  those  in  any  other  part  of  the  house. 

The  usual  method  of  planning  the  lower  floor  is  to  extend 
the  parquette  from  the  orchestra  to  the  rail-line  of  the  balcony 
above,  on  an  upward  pitch  of  about  10  to  15  inches  at  the 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


6l 


centre,  and  pitching  toward  the  sides  from  the  orchestra  one 
half  the  same  number  of  inches. 

This  inclination  should  take  up  about  one  half  the  lower 
floor  from  orchestra- rail  to  the  rear  of  the  parquette,  then  the 
stepping  of  the  circle  the  other  half. 

If  these  steppings  are  excessive,  the  upper  tiers  will  have 
to  be  correspondingly  raised,  for  otherwise  the  occupants  of 
the  back  seats  would  have  their  view  of  the  stage  consider- 
ably curtailed  by  the  soffit  of  the  tier  above. 

It  should  be  possible  for  those  standing  at  the  extreme 
limit  to  see  a  height  of  not  less  than  i6  feet  at  the  curtain- 
line,  although  12  feet  is  sometimes  allowable. 

For  dramatic  purposes  the  orchestra-pit  may  be  partly,  if 
not  entirely,  under  the  stage.  For  opera,  burlesque,  and 
musical  plays  it  is  necessary  to  place  it  within  the  auditorium, 
slightly  below  the  parquette  floor-level. 

The  orchestra  of  the  Madison  Square  Theatre  is  placed 
upon  a  platform  directly  above  the  stage  and  upon  the  stage 
side  of  the  curtain — a  peculiar  arrangement  which,  so  far  as 
we  are  aware,  is  unique. 

The  revised  New  York  Building  Law  expressly  provides 
against  this  mode  of  construction,  in  that,  **If  above  the 
stage,  it  shall  be  placed  upon  the  auditorium  side."  This 
will,  no  doubt,  prevent  its  being  attempted  in  this  city  in  the 
future. 

To  fittingly  describe  the  planning  of  the  various  floors,  ex- 
amples have  been  taken  from  the  very  best  existing  theatres ; 
and  by  referring  to  the  various  plans  in  this  chapter  we  are 
enabled  to  arrive  at  a  much  clearer  idea  of  the  subject.  The 
Empire  Theatre,  Fortieth  Street  and  Broadway,  New  York, 
and  others  will  also  be  referred  to.  The  Empire  proper  is 
100  feet  square  and  seats  1050  persons.  It  is  in  the  style  of 
the  First  Empire.  The  top  story  on  Broadway  is  of  terra 
cotta,  the  next  lower  of  pressed  Roman  brick,  and  the  two 


62 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


lower  stories  of  Indiana  limestone.  The  auditorium  is  fres- 
coed in  crimson  and  gold  and  lighted  by  clusters  of  electric 
lights. 

The  interior  is  rich,  quiet,  and  restful.  All  calculations 
for  measurements,  etc.,  will  be  taken  from  the  curtain-line  or 
back  line  of  the  proscenium  opening. 

In  the  Empire  this  opening  is  34  feet  wide  by  34  feet 
high,  and  about  one  half  the  width  of  the  auditorium.  The 
outer  line  of  the  footlights  from  the  curtain-line  is  5  feet,  and 
is  drawn  from  a  point  upon  the  centre-line  of  opening,  extend- 
ing backward  53  feet.  From  the  same  point  a  radius  of  58 
feet  describes  the  orchestra-rail,  then  2  feet  8  inches  for  the 
first  row  of  seats,  and  continuing  2  feet  7  inches  each  for  the 
remaining  seats  of  the  parquette. 

The  parquette  circle,  it  will  be  seen  by  referring  to  the 
plan,  is  arranged  in  steps,  which  are  described  by  a  line  drawn 
through  the  same  centre  from  a  point  4  feet  from  the  curtain. 

There  is  a  gradual  ascent  given  to  the  floor  of  the  par- 
quette at  its  centre,  from  the  orchestra  to  the  circle,  of  about 
16J  inches;  and  from  its  centre  to  the  sides  of  the  audi- 
torium at  the  widest  part  the  same  height  is  adopted.  By 
referring  to  the  longitudinal  section  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
first  stepping  is  3  inches,  then  3-J  inches  for  the  second,  and 
continually  increasing  by  half  an  inch  for  each  successive  step. 

An  additional  row  of  seats  is  placed  upon  a  raised  plat- 
form at  the  back  and  above  the  foyer-level,  as  shown — omitted 
at  the  aisles. 

The  foyer-level,  or  the  level  of  vestibule-entrance,  is  6 
inches  above  the  stage.  The  auditorium  is  66  feet  in  depth 
from  the  curtain-line  and  69  feet  wide,  from  which  four  aisles 
have  been  deducted,  and  about  8  feet  from  the  depth  for  a 
promenade  and  stairway  to  balcony.  The  aisles  are  3  feet 
wide  nearest  the  orchestra,  increasing  to  4  feet  at  the  circle- 
railing.     An  additional  passage  is  also  deducted  from  the 


EMPIRE  THEATRE,   BROADWAY,  NEAR  FORTIETH  STREET. 
J.  B.  McElfatrick  &  Son,  Architects. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEA  TRES. 


63 


width  to  give  entrance  to  the  boxes  and  their  stairways.  It 
will  be  seen  at  once  that  there  is  very  little,  if  any,  space  but 
what  is  actually  required  for  seating,  ingress  and  egress. 

Before  and  after  the  regular  performance  the  main  or 
Broadway  entrance  is  used  entirely  for  the  lower  floor  and 
balcony.  In  case  of  fire,  or  for  any  other  cause,  there  are 
provided  four  exits,  two  upon  the  right  of  the  auditorium, 
leading  to  an  open  court,  and  two  upon  the  left,  leading  to 
Fortieth  Street  through  the  ladies'  parlor. 

The  entrance  to  the  open  court  is  also  upon  Fortieth 
Street,  reached  through  a  brick  passage  or  tunnel  under  the 
foyer  and  entirely  fire-proof.  This  subway  or  passage  is  not 
a  desirable  exit,  but  under  the  circumstances  it  was  the  best, 
no  doubt,  that  could  have  been  done,  unless  it  were  possible 
to  procure  passage  to  Broadway.  In  the  first  stage  of  a  fire 
or  panic  it  will  answer  its  purpose,  but  when  the  constructive 
work  of  the  interior  is  being  consumed,  falling  beams,  girders, 
etc.,  will  no  doubt  crush  the  roof  of  any  subway  unless  pro- 
tected by  a  special  heavily  constructed  frame. 

The  New  York  Building  Law  requires  at  least  one  street- 
front,  and  for  an  emergency  an  open  court  or  space  on  the 
side  not  bordering  on  the  street  when  the  theatre  is  situated 
upon  the  corner,  and  courts  upon  each  side  when  the  building 
is  in  the  interior  of  a  block  or  inside  lots. 

The  sizes  of  courts  are  determined  by  the  seating  capacity ; 
for  instance,  for  a  theatre  seating  1000  persons  a  court  7  feet 
in  width  will  be  required;  above  1000  and  not  over  1800,  8 
feet;  and  above  1800,  10  feet.  The  courts  are  to  begin  at 
the  proscenium  wall,  as  shown  upon  the  plan,  and  extend  the 
length  of  the  auditorium,  with  a  separate  and  distinct  corridor 
extending  to  the  street  from  each  open  court. 

The  law  also  requires  that  there  shall  not  be  less  than  two 
exits  on  each  side  in  each  tier  from  and  including  the  parquette 
and  each  and  every  gallery,  and  each  exit  to  be  not  less  than 


64 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


5  feet  in  width.  The  Empire  has  an  exit  from  stage  to  open 
court,  two  doors  from  parquette,  and  stairs  from  the  upper 
tiers.  There  are  also  two  entrances  from  the  street  to  stage, 
and  three  from  parquette  to  street,  also  the  main  entrance, 
2 1  feet  4  inches  wide,  to  Broadway. 

By  referring  again  to  the  longitudinal  section  the  exact 


PARQUETTE  AND  PARQUETTE  CIRCLE,   ABBEY  S  THEATRE. 


heights  of  the  various  tiers  are  shown.  The  balcony  is  i6  feet 
6  inches  above  the  foyer,  the  gallery  17  feet  11  inches  above 
the  balcony,  and  the  roof  18  feet  above  the  gallery.  The 
height  of  the  proscenium  girder  and  opening  is  also  shown, 
together  with  the  fly-galleries,  etc.  The  construction  of  the 
tiers  is  fully  explained  in  detail,  to  follow.  The  Empire  seats 
about  1 1 50  persons. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


65 


In  the  Abbey  Theatre,  Broadway  and  Thirty-eighth 
Street,  the  parquette  and  circle  are  arranged  upon  the  same 
general  plan  as  the  Empire,  with  some  slight  differences.  By 
referring  to  the  plan  it  will  be  seen  that  the  proscenium 
opening  is  35  feet  wide  and  34  feet  in  height.  The  audi- 
torium is  79  feet  in  depth  from  curtain-line  by  70  feet  9  inches 
in  width,  from  which  has  been  deducted  10  feet  in  the  depth 
for  the  promenade  and  stairs  to  balcony,  and  in  the  width 
for  aisles. 

There  are  in  this  theatre  three  exits  on  the  left  of  the 
auditorium,  opening  into  the  open  court  which  leads  to  Broad- 
way, and  upon  the  right  side  three,  two  of  which  are  to  be 
used  in  case  of  emergency — through  the  ladies'  parlor — the 
other  as  an  entrance  for  those  persons  arriving  and  departing 
in  carriages.  The  stage  of  the  Abbey  Theatre  is  40  feet  by 
65  feet  7  inches,  and  the  Empire  30  feet  by  67  feet. 

By  referring  to  the  longitudinal  section  the  proper  pro- 
portions of  the  Abbey  Theatre  are  shown. 

All  measurements  of  heights  are  taken  from  the  stage- 
level,  the  longitudinal  measurements  from  the  curtain-line. 
The  parquette  floor  is  3  feet  9  inches  below  the  stage  and 
starts  10  feet  from  the  curtain  line.  For  a  distance  of  38  feet 
8  inches  there  is  an  upward  pitch  of  12  J  inches  to  the  first 
stepping  of  the  parquette  circle,  which  step  is  3  inches. 

The  other  steppings  are  in  the  following  order:  the 
second  step  3|-  inches,  third  4  inches,  fourth  4J  inches,  and 
continue  in  successive  half-inch  increases  until  the  next  to 
the  last  of  7  inches,  which  is  the  foyer-level,  20  inches  above 
the  stage. 

There  is  an  additional  step  of  8  inches  by  2  feet  7  inches 
wide  raised  above  the  foyer-level.  All  these  steps  except  the 
last  mentioned  pitch  down  toward  the  sides  of  the  auditorium 
6  inches. 


66 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


The  parquette  floor  gradually  rises  toward  the  boxes  at 
the  orchestra  to  meet  the  lowest  step  at  that  point. 

The  height  of  the  balcony  floor  above  the  foyer-level  is  i& 
feet,  the  lowest  step  8  feet  7  inches  above  the  same  point. 
The  lower  step  of  the  balcony  descends  20  inches  from  the 
centre  toward  the  boxes;  consequently,  the  top  step  being 
level,  this  20  inches  is  divided  among  the  various  steps  at  the 
wall-line.  (See  the  heights  and  widths  of  these  steppings 
explained  under     Balcony  Construction.") 


LONGITUDINAL  SECTION,   ABBEY'S  THEATRE. 


The  gallery-floor,  as  shown  by  this  section,  is  16  feet  4 
inches  above  the  balcony,  and  4  feet  4  inches  at  the  lowest 
step.  The  upper  step  is  level,  and  the  first  step  descends  2 
feet  10  inches  toward  the  boxes;  the  difference  of  height  is 
made  up  in  the  various  number  of  steppings,  as  explained  for 
the  balcony. 

The  flat  roof,  14  feet  above  the  gallery,  is  constructed  of 
steel  beams  and  filled  between  with  flat  terra-cotta  arches. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


67 


The  hanging  ceiling  under  the  same  is  constructed  of 
\y  X  1/2  X  -f^"  angles  supported  from  the  beams,  curved  at 
the  intersection  of  the  wall  and  truss,  and  covered  with  wire 
lath  and  plaster. 

This  section  shows  the  bottom  chords  of  the  trusses  sup- 


PARQUETTE,   HARRIGAN'S  THEATRE. 


porting  the  main  roof  of  the  auditorium,  which  are  47  feet  8 
inches  above  the  stage-level,  and  also  clearly  shows  the  north 
interior  view  of  the  stage.  The  large  door  upon  the  stage 
leads  to  the  scene^room.  The  first  set  of  flies  is  28  feet  above 
the  stage,  the  second  52  feet,  and  the  gridiron  69  feet.  The 
paint-bridge  is  at  the  rear  of  the  stage,  connected  to  the  first 
set  of  galleries. 


68 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


The  plan  shows  the  general  arrangement  of  the  par- 
quette  floor  of  Harrigan's  Theatre,  Thirty-fifth  Street,  New 
York.  Mr.  Kimball,  the  architect,  has  upon  three  inside  city 
lots  planned  and  constructed  a  model  theatre. 

The  auditorium  is  52  feet  in  depth  by  56  feet  2  inches 
wide,  and  the  stage  is  28  feet  4  inches  deep  by  71  feet  6 
inches  wide. 

The  front  of  stage,  orchestra-line,  and  seating-lines  have 
been  described  from  a  point  at  rear  of  stage  upon  the  centre- 
line of  proscenium  opening. 

The  exits  upon  each  side  of  the  auditorium  open  into  the 
courts  as  provided  for  in  the  New  York  Building  Law,  and 
open  out  into  Thirty-fifth  Street  immediately  adjoining  the 
gallery-entrances. 

The  Manhattan  Opera  House  is  also  erected  upon  inside 
city  lots,  between  Thirty-fourth  and  Thirty-fifth  streets, 
New  York,  planned  and  constructed  by  the  architects  who 
designed  the  Empire  and  Abbey  theatres. 

In  this  example  the  lower  floor  is  divided  into  a  parquette 
and  parquette  circle,  from  which  two  emergency  exits  are 
placed  upon  the  right  and  three  upon  the  left  leading  into  the 
open  court,  then  into  the  street  at  the  front  of  the  building 
on  Thirty-fourth  Street  and  the  back  at  Thirty-fifth  street. 
By  referring  to  the  section  it  will  be  seen  that  the  parquette 
pitches  gradually  from  the  orchestra-rail  to  the  first  stepping 
of  the  circle,  then  these  steppings  increase  by  half  an  inch  in 
height  as  they  recede  from  the  parquette. 

The  depth  of  the  parquette  floor  at  the  orchestra-rail  is 
governed  by  the  stage-level,  and  is  generally  from  3  feet  6 
inches  to  4  feet  3  inches;  3  feet  9  inches  being  a  medium 
height,  it  gives  better  results  and  fixes  the  eye  of  the  spec- 
tator 5  inches  above  the  stage-level. 

In  planning  these  theatres  the  architects  have  closely  fol- 
lowed the  building-law  requirements.    The  moulded  frame 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


69 


in  each  around  the  proscenium  brick  opening  is  constructed 
of  fire-proof  material,  and  at  the  head  or  top  of  the  opening 
there  is  a  brick  arch  in  addition  to  the  large  box-girders. 

The  girder  is  furred  with  iron  and  covered  with  the  same 
material  as  the  sides.  The  proscenium  opening  is  also  sup- 
plied with  a  fire-proof  metal  curtain,  sliding  at  each  end  into 
iron  grooves  securely  fastened  to  the  brick  walls. 

The  curtain  is  raised  by  approved  machinery  at  the  com- 
mencement of  each  performance,  and  lowered  at  the  close. 

The  law  requires  all  doorways  or  openings  through  the 
proscenium  wall  from  the  auditorium  in  every  tier  to  have 
doors  of  iron  or  wood,  and  hung  so  as  to  be  opened  from 
either  side  at  all  times.  The  wooden  doors  are  to  be  covered 
with  sheet  iron  on  both  sides.  No  openings  are  allowed  above 
the  level  of  the  auditorium  ceiling.  All  aisles  having  seats 
on  both  sides  are  not  less  than  three  feet  in  width,  and  increase 
towards  the  exits  in  the  ratio  of  \\  inches  to  5  running  feet. 

The  aggregate  capacity  of  the  foyer,  lobbies,  corridors, 
passages,  and  rooms,  not  including  aisle-space,  is  sufficient, 
in  the  ratio  of  150  superficial  feet  of  floor- room,  to  accommo- 
date 100  persons.  Gradients  or  inclined  planes  are  used  in 
aisles  when  possible  to  overcome  any  slight  difference  in  levels 
between  aisles,  corridors,  and  passages. 

The  law  also  requires  the  number  of  exits  proportioned  to 
the  capacity  of  the  house.  For  instance,  for  every  theatre 
accommodating  500  at  least  three  exits  are  required,  and  the 
width  of  each  exit  should  be  not  less  than  5  feet,  and  for 
every  additional  100  persons  or  portion  thereof  in  excess  of 
500  an  aggregate  of  20  inches  additional  exit  width  is  de- 
manded. 

All  doors  are  to  open  outward,  and  to  swing  in  such  a 
manner  as  not  to  become  an  obstruction  in  the  passage  or 
corridor,  and  should  be  unlocked  during  any  performance. 


70 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


DRESSING-ROOMS. 

If  the  area  of  the  site  upon  which  the  theatre  is  erected  is 
not  too  small,  it  is  unadvisable  to  restrict  the  number  of 
dressing-rooms,  and  in  most  cases  a  number  of  small  single 
rooms  are  to  be  preferred  to  a  limited  number  of  large  ones. 

If  possible,  the  dressing-rooms  should  be  separated  by  a 
corridor  from  the  stage,  and  should  have  separate  stairways 
for  men  and  women.  These  stairways,  although  constructed 
of  iron,  should  be  arranged  for  quick  and  easy  access  to  the 
stage,  and  at  the  same  time  be  so  cut  off  from  it  and  the 
auditorium  that  the  noise  created  by  persons  running  up  and 
down  may  not  annoy  the  performers. 

There  should  be  two  or  more  rooms  for  star  performers, 
arranged  as  near  the  stage  as  practicable,  with  private  lav- 
atories and  dressing  accommodations. 

In  the  Empire  Theatre  there  are  upon  the  stage-level  three 
large  rooms;  upon  the  first  fly-gallery  level,  one  large  and 
three  small  rooms.  The  other  rooms  are  used  as  a  carpenter- 
shop  and  scene-room.  The  Abbey  Theatre  has  at  least  ten 
dressing-rooms,  with  a  scene  and  a  trunk  room. 

Larger  theatres  have  their  work-rooms,  such  as  are  used 
by  carpenters,  property-makers,  modellers,  blacksmith,  gas- 
fitter,  and  scene-painter. 

The  carpenter-shop  should  be  at  the  stage-floor  level,  and 
as  the  battens  "  used  for  mounting  the  cloths  "  will  be 
stored  here,  the  length  of  the  shop  should  exceed  by  a  few 
feet  the  width  of  the  proscenium  opening.  The  property- 
making  room  should  be  situated  close  to  the  carpenter-shop 
and  separated  by  fire-proof  doors.  The  modelling-room 
should  adjoin  the  property-room  as  well  as  the  smith-shop. 

In  most  of  the  smaller  theatres  to-day  the  painting  of  the 
scenes  is  done  from  the  paint-bridge."  The  paint-frames 
are  suspended  form  the     gridiron  "  and  raised  and  lowered 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


PARQUETTE  AND  PARQUETTE  CIRCLE,  MANHATTAN  OPERA  HOUSE. 


72 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


from  the  fly-galleries,  but  a  separate  room  should  be  provided 
for  storing  colors,  brushes,  and  other  materials.  A  storeroom 
should  also  be  provided  to  store  furniture,  arms,  armor,  and 
materials. 

The  walls  separating  the  actors'  dressing-rooms  from  the 
stage,  and  the  partitions  dividing  the  dressing-rooms,  together 


BALCOMY  PLAN,  EMPIRE  THEATRE. 


with  the  partitions  of  every  passageway  from  the  same  to  the 
stage,  and  all  other  partitions  on  or  about  the  stage,  should 
be  constructed  of  fire-proof  blocks  or  other  fire-proof  material. 
All  doors  should  be  of  iron  or  wood  and  iron. 

BALCONY  AND  GALLERY. 

In  planning  the  balcony  and  gallery  tiers  in  the  auditorium 
of  the  theatre  we  are  not  confronted  by  any  new  conditions 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


71 


than  those  met  with  in  arranging  the  parquette  and  parquette 
circle,  except  their  fronts,  the  shapes  of  which,  if  improperly- 
described,  may  affect  the  spectators'  view  from  the  side  seats. 

In  many  cases  the  balcony  fronts  are  constructed  level  and 
the  steppings  upon  the  sides  are  increased  in  height,  which 
further  assists  the  view  without  increasing  the  height  of  the 
tier. 

In  such  modern  theatres  as  are  herein  described  the  fronts 
of  the  circles  are  lowered  gradually  as  they  near  the  sides  of 
the  auditorium  or  the  boxes. 

By  referring  to  the  balcony  plan  of  the  Empire  Theatre 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  front  is  directly  above  the  parquette 
circle,  an  excellent  arrangement,  by  which  a  good  view  of  the 
stage  is  obtained  from  the  rear  of  the  parquette  circle. 

To  arrange  the  steppings  of  this  circle  a  radius  of  31  feet 
is  taken  from  the  same  4  feet  distant  from  the  curtain-line  as 
that  for  the  parquette  circle,  and  seven  steppings,  with  an 
additional  one  placed  above  the  balcony  tier,  are  obtained. 

The  plan  also  clearly  shows  the  arrangement  of  stairways 
and  exits. 

Upon  the  right  there  are  two  emergency  exits  leading  to 
an  iron  fire-escape,  then  to  the  bottom  of  the  open  court, 
and  to  Fortieth  Street,  as  explained  heretofore.  To  the  left 
there  are  also  two  exits  which  lead  to  another  fire-escape 
and  then  to  the  sidewalk  through  the  ladies'  parlor. 

The  main  stairways  of  the  balcony  are  placed  at  the  back 
of  the  steppings  as  shown. 

There  are  also  stairways  from  the  boxes  on  each  side  of 
the  auditorium  leading  downward  to  the  main  floor  and  up  to 
the  gallery  boxes. 

Separate  and  distinct  from  this  tier,  and  enclosed  by  solid 
brick  walls,  are  shown  the  stairways  of  the  gallery.  The  black 
dots  upon  the  plan  represent  the  position  of  the  iron  columns 


74 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


supporting  the  gallery  tier  above,  further  shown  and  described 
in  the  constructive  details  of  these  floors. 

In  setting  off  the  steppings  upon  the  plan  care  should  be 
taken  that  the  exit-doors  are  placed  in  such  a  position  that 
there  may  be  no  stumbling-blocks.    The  doors  should  not  be 


BALCONY  PLAN,  ABBEYS  THEATRE. 

too  near  the  lower  steps,  as  in  case  of  a  stampede  the  audience 
are  more  apt  to  stu7nble  going  downward  than  clambering 
upward,  and  the  doorways  should  not  be  too  narrow  and 
should  always  open  outward. 

The  balcony  plan  of  the  Abbey  Theatre  is  arranged  some- 
what similar  to  the  balcony  of  the  Empire.  The  first  stepping 
is  directly  over  the  first  step  of  the  parquette  circle  below, 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES.  75 

the  dimensions  of  which  are  also  fully  explained  in  the  sketch 
of  the  construction  under  Balcony  Construction. 

One-half  of  the  front  is  drawn  by  a  radius  of  38  feet  8 
inches  at  a  point  on  the  curtain-line,  and  all  the  steps  are 
described  from  that  point.  That  portion  of  the  front  rail  is 
bowed  outward  about  12  inches  directly  in  front  of  the  aisles, 


GALLERY,   EMPrRE  THEAIRE. 


and  from  this  point  another  radius  of  10  feet  is  adopted  to 
complete  the  circle,  ending  at  the  loggia  box. 

The  arrangement  of  the  staircases  is  also  clearly  shown- 
upon  this  plan.  The  narrowest  width  of  the  foyer  is  10  feet 
4  inches,  increasing  toward  the  sides,  at  which  points  the  two 
main  stairways  are  arranged. 

There  are  also,  in  addition  to  the  above  stairways,  four 
emergency  exits  leading  to  fire-escapes,  one  placed  in  the 


7^  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

open  court,  the  other  outside  the  ladies'  parlor  upon  the 
Thirty-eighth  Street  side  of  the  theatre. 

These  fire-escapes,  as  well  as  those  leading  from  the  gallery 
exits,  are  arranged  in  such  a  manner  that  the  audience  do  not 


VIEW  OF  BOXES,   THE  GARRICK  THEATRE. 


intermingle  when  passing  from  each  floor.  The  two  boxes 
upon  each  side  of  this  tier  are  circular  and  8  feet  diameter. 

The  gallery  of  the  Empire  is  as  well  arranged  as  the  bal- 
cony, with  a  slight  difference  in  the  shape  of  the  circle  front, 
and  a  greater  pitch.  The  radius  of  the  front  is  taken  from 
the  same  point  as  that  of  the  balcony,  but  another  radius  of 
13  feet  10  inches,  from  a  point  directly  opposite  the  last 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


77 


column  of  the  boxes  about  24  feet  from  the  stage,  is  used  to 
complete  the  circle. 

This  front  is  2  feet  1 1  inches  back  of  the  balcony  front, 
but  has  the  same  number  of  rows,  the  last  two  steps  being 
constructed  of  wood  above  the  tier-level. 

Upon  this  floor,  in  addition  to  the  regular  stairways,  there 
are  also  four  emergency  exits,  two  upon  the  right  leading  to 
the  fire-escape  of  the  court,  and  two  upon  the  left  leading  to 
the  Fortieth  Street  fire-escape.  We  wish  to  remark  here  that 
boxes  placed  upon  the  gallery  tier  of  any  theatre  are  not  to 
be  recommended,  as  '1  is  impossible  to  see  the  stage  without 
great  inconvenience,  and  to  see  such  boxes  occupied  at  any 
performance  is  rare  indeed.  The  appearance  of  the  interior 
would  be  very  much  improved  if  this  space  were  given  over 
to  a  suitably  finished  top  for  the  boxes  below  as  shown  by 
a  sketch  of  boxes  in  the  Garrick  Theatre. 

BALCONY  CONSTRUCTION,  ABBEY'S  THEATRE. 

The  height  of  balcony  from  lower  floor  and  gallery  from 
balcoi.y  is  given  upon  the  longitudinal  section,  and  the 
height  of  steppings  is  given  upon  the  following  section. 


T7 


BALCONY  CONSTRUCTION,  ABBEY'S  THEATRE. 


These  steppings  are  not  arranged  upon  the  isacoustic 
curve  "  system,  but  upon  that  in  which  the  nosings  are  tan- 


78 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


gent  to  a  line  drawn  from  a  point  on  the  curtain-line  4  feet 
to  4  feet  6  inches  below  the  stage-level. 

The  first  step  is  loj  inches  by  2  feet  8  inches  wide,  with 
the  front  of  the  circle  bowed  outward  in  front  of  the  aisles. 

The  second  step  is  1 1  inches  by  2  feet  7  inches  wide,  and 
each  successive  step  increases  by  half  an  inch  as  the  top 
level  is  reached ;  that  is,  the  height  of  risers  varies  according 
to  the  distance  of  each  circle  from  the  stage. 

As  the  steppings  reach  the  side  of  the  auditorium  they  in- 
crease in  depth  and  each  takes  up  its  proportion  of  the  20 
inches  of  rake. 


GALLERY  CONSTRUCTION,  ABBEY'S  THEATRE. 


There  has  been  much  trouble  caused  by  an  improper 
laying  out  of  steppings  for  galleries  of  this  kind  when  they 
rake  each  side  of  the  centre^  and  if  not  properly  constructed 
a  very  decided  hump  is  plainly  visible  in  the  centre.  The 
steps  should  be  quite  level  each  side  of  the  centre  before 
the  rake  begins  for  a  space  of  2  to  2  feet  6  inches. 

For  the  support  of  the  steppings  in  this  theatre  there  are 
8-inch  steel  channels  extending  from  a  line  of  12-inch  beam- 
girders  between  the  back  columns  to  the  inner-circle  lattice- 
girders  and  projecting  nearly  10  feet  beyond  the  girder. 
These  channels  are  placed  about  2  feet  6  inches  apai;t  and 


'OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES, 


79 


radiate  toward  the  point  from  which  the  steppings  are 
described. 

The  steps  are  constructed  of  i-inch  yellow-pine  flooring 
upon  2-inch  battens  secured  to  stepping-pieces  of  i^"  X  ij" 
steel  angles  bolted  to  the  radiating  channels. 

The  risers  are  made  of  sheet  iron  about  -^^  of  an  inch  thick 
and  also  secured  to  the  angles. 

This  section  also  shows  the  manner  in  which  the  furring 
and  wire  lathing  are  secured  to  form  the  coves  and  ceiling. 

There  are  X  angles  bolted  to  the  under  side  of 
the  8-inch  channels  and  placed  i6  inches  apart.  The  coves 
are  formed  of  bent  if  X  ik"  angles  and  secured  as  shown. 

Upon  the  small  i^^-inch  angles  the  wire  lath  is  secured. 

The  front  of  the  balcony,  as  well  as  the  gallery,  is  con- 
structed of  3-inch  channel-posts  placed  about  4  feet  apart 
and  secured  to  a  continuous  6-inch  channel  extending  around 
the  entire  front. 

The  decorative  plaster-work  is  secured  to  these  upright 
posts  and  longitudinal  channels  with  copper  wire.  To  form 
the  top  rail  of  the  front  a  4-inch  channel  is  used,  to  which  is 
secured  a  wooden  capping  and  brass  railing. 

The  gallery  of  the  Abbey  is  constructed  similar  to  the 
balcony  with  the  exception  that  the  steppings  are  higher  and 
narrower  (see  the  detail). 

The  first  step  is  2  feet  6  inches  wide  by  20  inches  high ;  the 
others  follow  each  other  in  different  order  from  those  of  the 
balcony,  three  of  which  are  20  inches  and  the  remainder  21 
inches  high.  This  system  decreases  the  height  of  the  gallery 
tier  to  some  extent,  and  has  been  found  practicable.  The 
aisles  or  gangways  in  both  the  balcony  and  gallery  have 
been  carefully  proportioned. 

The  rule  is  to  avoid  excessive  width,  as  it  entails  loss  of 
seating,  whilst  if  too  narrow  it  creates  a  feeling  of  insuffi- 
ciency. 


So  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

The  number  of  seats  in  a  row  should  never  exceed  ten, 
or  at  the  greatest  twelve,  without  an  intervening  aisle,  and 
the  minimum  width  of  an  aisle  should  be  equal  to  two  seats, 
or,  as  is  generally  laid  out,  3  feet  6  inches  to  4  feet  at  the 
back  to  3  feet  at  the  front. 

The  smaller  steps  of  these  aisles  in  the  gallery  should  be 
as  few  as  possible  and  easy,  none  over  8  inches  in  height. 

The  level  floor  of  the  parquette  and  parquette  circle  in 
this  theatre  is  constructed  with  the  ordinary  method  of  steel 
beams  supported  upon  small  cast-iron  columns  and  filled 
between  with  hollow  fire-clay  blocks. 

BALCONY   AND    GALLERY    CONSTRUCTION  OF   THE  EMPIRE 

THEATRE. 

In  the  Empire  Theatre  the  balcony-  and  gallery-steppings 
are  arranged  similar  to  those  of  the  Abbey ;  the  widths  are 


BALCONY  CONSTRUCTION,  EMPIRE  THEATRE. 


the  same,  but  the  heights  of  risers,  on  account  of  their  near- 
ness to  the  stage,  are  required  to  be  increased. 

The  first  step  of  the  balcony  is  12  inches  in  height  and 
each  step  increases  by  half  an  inch  as  shown. 

The  vertical  line  of  figures  represents  those  at  the  centre  \ 
the  first  inclined  line  those  at  the  first  column  from  the  cen- 
tre; the  second  line  those  at  the  second  column. 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


8l 


The  gallery  steps  are  designated  in  the  same  manner. 
The  vertical  line  are  those  at  the  centre;  20  inches  being  the 
iirst  step,  then  increasing  by  one  inch  each  until  the  top  is 
reached.  To  support  the  steppings  small  lattice-trusses  are 
employed  and  placed  about  8  feet  apart,  radiating  from  the 
point  from  which  the  steppings  are  described. 

Between  the  trusses,  and  resting  upon  the  bottom  chords, 
Guastavino  arches  are  constructed,  making  an  excellent  and 
practical  system,  doing  away  with  all  furring,  and  making 
desirable  coves  in  the  ceiling  for  decorations. 


GALLERY  CONSTUCTION,  EMPIRE  THEATRE. 


To  support  the  flooring  (2-inch  boarding  in  this  case)  knee- 
pieces  of  plates  and  angles  are  secured  to  the  top  chord  of 
each  truss  as  shown  in  the  sketch.  At  the  top  of  each  knee- 
piece  2-inch  channels  and  at  the  bottom  2-inch  angles  are 
secured,  extending  in  a  circle  the  entire  length  of  the 
galleries. 

The  riser  of  |-inch  plate  iron  is  also  secured  to  the  face  of 
these  knees. 

Another  favorite  method  of  constructing  these  galleries  is 
to  use  steel  beams;  place  them  about  4  to  6  feet  apart,  accord- 
ing to  their  strength,  and  fill  in  between  with  fireproof 
arches  of  bricks  or  hollow  tile. 


82 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


This  is  no  doubt  the  cheapest  form,  but  the  top  and  bot- 
tom of  the  beams  are  required  to  be  bent  to  conform  to  the 
girders  and  steppings  of  the  tiers.  If  the  girders  supporting 
the  lower  ends  of  these  beams  are  level,  the  above  is  an  easy 
task,  but  when  the  front  rakes  two  or  three  feet  the  beams 
become  different  lengths;  then  different  bends  are  required. 
This  construction  is  also  considerably  heavier  than  the  Guas- 
tavino  arch  system  and  requires  more  metal  in  the  beams  and 
columns. 

In  the  Empire  all  the  floors,  galleries,  and  roof-work  have 
been  constructed  with  the  Guastavino  arch  system. 

The  floor  of  the  lower  tier  of  boxes  in  the  Abbey  Theatre 
is  2  feet  3  inches  below  the  stage-level,  lO  feet  9  inches  to 
the  floor  of  the  second  tier,  and  1 1  feet  3  inches  to  the  top 
box. 

The  columns  supporting  each  tier  of  boxes  are  of  cast  iron, 
6  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  box  furring  12-inch  square,  com- 
posed of  X  corner  angles,  and  covered  with  f  X  ^' 
flat  iron  bars  placed  every  12  inches  apart,  to  which  the  wire 
lath  is  secured. 

As  the  boxes  of  the  balcony  and  gallery  are  not  entered 
from  these  tiers,  they  are  not  required  to  be  on  the  same 
level,  but  may  be  connected  by  a  few  steps  as  shown  upon 
the  plans. 

ACOUSTICS. 

The  theory  of  acoustics  treats  of  phenomena  difficult  of 
practical  application.  Where  absolute  freedom  in  the  choice 
of  material  is  admissible,  the  difficulties  are  reduced,  but  even 
then  it  is  questionable  whether  success  can  be  guaranteed. 

Buildings  have  been  constructed  on  professed  scientific 
principles,  yet  the  result  has  been  dire  failure,  while  other 
buildings,  erected  with  but  little  regard  to  scientific  require- 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


83 


ments,  have,  by  a  fortuitous  combination  of  form  and 
material,  proved  perfect  models  for  the  propagation  of  sound. 

The  safest  method  in  deciding  upon  the  shape  of  a  theatre 
appears  to  be  to  adopt  a  form  which  is  known  to  be  in  itself 
capable  of  conveying  sound  with  facility,  to  construct  it  of 
materials  which  are  of  a  conductive  nature,  and  avoid  all  breaks 
and  projections  on  the  surface  of  such  forms  which  tend  to 
intercept  or  impede  the  progress  of  the  sound  when  once 
conveyed  to  any  part  of  it. 

It  is  generally  admitted  that  a  circular  enclosure,  unob- 
structed by  breaks  and  projections,  possesses  the  power  of 
conveying  sound  with  facility,  and  that  wood  is  the  material 
which  combines  the  greatest  number  of  desirable  qualities  as 
to  conduction,  resonance,  etc. 

Wood  does  not  absorb  the  sound  so  much  as  some 
materials,  and  does  not  conduct  it  so  much  as  others. 

That  wood  is  sonorous  and  capable  of  producing  soft, 
clear,  and  pleasing  tones  is  sufficiently  demonstrated  by  the 
effect  of  it  in  musical  instruments. 

There  are  few  if  any  materials  used  in  the  ordinary 
methods  of  fire -resisting  materials  that  will  aid  in  the  rein- 
forcement of  sound.  But  the  danger  attending  the  introduc- 
tion of  wood  within  the  existing  method  of  illumination  is 
self-evident.  It  is  therefore  necessary  to  make  the  construc- 
tion and  finish  fireproof.  In  fact  there  is  little  or  no  wood- 
work used  in  the  construction  of  our  present  model  theatres 
except  that  used  for  the  working  parts  of  the  stage  and  the 
flooring  upon  which  the  seats  are  placed. 

Considering  that  the  requirements  are  such  that  the  build- 
ing be  fireproof,  we  are  still  able  to  construct  it  so  that  the 
theatre  shall  combine  all  reasonable  requirements  for  the 
propagation  of  sound  and  the  economy  of  speech.  With  a 
view  to  obtain  the  best  results  there  should  be  no  projection 
or  obstruction.    The  present  method  of  constructing  the 


84 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


fronts  of  balconies,  boxes,  and  galleries  is  to  be  recommended; 
the  plastic  decorations  destroy  the  reflection  of  the  sound- 
waves which  usually  occur  if  the  surfaces  are  hard  and  smooth, 
as  sound-waves  impinging  upon  smooth  and  non-sonorous 
surfaces  recoil  and  occasion  confusion  of  sound  by  their 
intermingling.  Where  the  ceiling  of  the  auditorium  and  ver- 
tical walls  join,  there  should  be  coves  formed.  The  back 
walls  of  the  boxes  should  be  concave;  the  ceiling  of  bal- 
conies and  galleries  should  be  similarly  constructed. 

It  may  be  accepted  as  a  test  of  the  acoustic  properties  of  a 
building  that  these  are  defective  when  the  speaker  experiences 
difficulty  in  speaking,  for  then  it  is  quite  evident  that  some 
of  his  auditors  are  hearing  with  difficulty.  Large  air-spaces, 
whilst  desirable  for  the  purpose  of  ventilation,  are  prejudicial, 
to  acoustic  effect,  the  sounds  being  dispersed  and  lost. 

The  auditorium  ceiling  should  therefore  be  rather  too  low 
than  too  high,  and  all  open  space  covered  by  screens,  curtains,, 
etc. 

An  English  writer,  referring  to  Her  Majesty's  Opera 
House,  London,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  some  years  ago, 
observed  that  it  was  the  very  best  theatre  in  the  world  for 
sound,  and  was  certainly  without  any  scientific  principle  of 
acoustics."  In  shape  it  was  like  a  drum  and  the  walls  of  the 
auditorium  were  flat.  There  were  no  projecting  ornaments 
of  any  kind ;  the  ceiling  was  perfectly  smooth,  without  any 
ornamentation  in  relief,  and  the  form  is  that  of  a  slight  dome. 

Too  much  drapery  in  a  theatre  is  undesirable, — it  always 
deadens  the  sound, — but  drapery  may  be  hung  in  proper 
places  to  prevent  reflection,  especially  upon  the  soffits  of 
boxes  when  for  practical  reasons  the  rear  partitions  of  the 
same  are  not  properly  coved. 

The  auditorium  should  therefore  be  constructed  with  some 
approach  to  this  formation,  the  sides  converging  toward  the 
proscenium,  or,  in  other  words,  expanding  toward  the  back 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


8S 


of  the  auditorium.  The  ceiling,  as  already  pointed  out, 
should  follow  the  same  principles  of  convergent  lines  and  slope 
upward  from  its  junction  with  the  proscenium  wall,  and  be 
coved  at  the  side  walls  or  with  any  partition  within  the  audi- 
torium. Such  a  ceiling,  if  without  projecting  ornamentation, 
will  assist  the  conduction  of  sound  toward  the  gallery. 

It  is  probably  unnecessary  to  say  that  a  speaking-trumpet 
is  the  best  form  for  conducting  sound  onward  with  undimin- 
ished force. 

The  primary  necessity  of  acoustic  perfection  in  a  theatre 
is  that  the  auditorium  should  not  exceed  in  size  the  limits  of 
the  human  voice  when  reasonably  exerted.  Given  a  good 
articulation,  the  voice  may  be  heard  in  churches  60  to  70  feet 
in  front,  40  to  45  feet  on  each  side  of,  and  25  to  30  feet 
behind  the  preacher.  This  calculation  comes  near  the  carry- 
ing limit  of  the  normal  powers  of  the  human  voice,  and  the: 
auditorium  of  a  theatre  will  be  within  the  natural  direct  ra- 
diation of  sound  when  no  person  is  farther  than  75  feet  from. 
the  speaker. 

An  authority  found  in  his  experiments  that  the  natural 
expansion  of  the  human  voice,  when  moderately  exerted,  will 
be  in  the  proportion  of  about  two-ninths  farther  in  a  direct 
line  than  it  will  be  laterally;  and  that,  being  distinctly  audible 
on  each  side  the  speaker  at  a  distance  of  75  feet,  it  will  be  as 
plainly  heard  at  a  distance  of  at  least  92  feet  in  front  of  the 
speaker,  declining  in  strength  behind  him,  so  as  not  to  be 
clearly  heard  at  much  more  than  30  feet  from  his  back.  In 
actual  practice  it  is  frequently  possible  to  hear  the  performers 
much  better  in  the  gallery  of  a  theatre  than  in  the  lower  por- 
tion of  the  house,  which  no  doubt  arises  from  the  ascensional 
power  of  the  atmosphere  produced  by  increased  temperature, 
and  partly  from  the  sound-waves  failing  to  penetrate  under 
the  balcony  or  gallery. 

Taking  it  for  granted  that  the  natural  expansion  of  the 


86 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


human  voice  is  about  70  to  75  feet  in  a  lateral  direction  on 
each  side  of  the  speaker,  and  as  it  is  evident  the  space  be- 
tween the  front-line  of  the  stage,  and  the  rear  of  the  audi- 
torium may  at  times  constitute  the  lateral  direction  of  the 
voice  (refer  to  the  plan  Fig.  i),  according  as  the  actor's 
face  shall  be  turned  more  or  less  toward  either  of  the  sides  of 
the  theatre,  the  utmost  distance  from  the  front  of  the  stage 
to  the  rear  ought  not  to  exceed  75  feet,  or  the  limit  the  voice 
is  capable  of  expanding  in  a  lateral  direction.  For  if,  calcu- 
lating upon  the  actor's  face  being  turned — as  in  general  it 
would  be — toward  the  front  of  the  house,  the  distance  between 
that  part  of  the  house  and  the  most  advanced  line  of  the  stage 


were  to  be  considered  as  invariably  the  direct  line  of  the 
voice,  and  were  accordingly  to  be  extended  92  feet — the 


would  be  that  upon  a  sudden  turn  of  the  actor's  head  what 
had  before  been  the  direct  line  of  the  sound  would  then 
become  its  lateral  direction,  and  those  persons  sitting  at  a 
distance  of  92  feet  from  the  actor  would  be  17  feet  beyond 
the  reach  of  his  voice. 

The  question  might  be  asked  here,  Why  not  enlarge  the 


Fig.  I. — Plan. 


expansion  of  the  voice  in  a  direct  line  —  the  consequence 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


87 


proscenium  opening  and  open  the  full  semicircle  to  the  audi- 
ence, omitting  the  boxes — which  seldom,  if  ever,  pay — and 
thus  increase  the  seating  capacity  ?  But  large  proscenium 
openings  are  expensive ;  the  stage  does  not  require  it  for 
dramatic  performances,  and  does  not  require  such  an  outlay 
as  would  be  required  for  costly  scenery,  borders,  etc. — 30  to 
35  feet  wide  for  the  proscenium  opening  seems  to  be  especi- 
ally advantageous.  Fig.  2  represents  a  vertical  section  of 
Fig.  I,  or  section  through  the  centre-line  of  theatre,  the 


oblique  line  from  back  of  stage  to  top  of  theatre  corresponds 
to  those  upon  the  plan  Fig.  i.  These  lines  designate  very 
nearly  the  proscenium  opening. 

Having  stated  that  the  extreme  distance  from  the  stage  to 
the  back  row  of  seats  facing  the  stage  should  be  about  75 
feet,  we  frequently  find  that  in  many  theatres  this  distance 
varies  more  or  less  according  to  the  seating  capacity  stated 
below.  In  a  number  of  foreign  theatres  we  perceive  at  once 
that  the  seating  capacity  is  increased  more  or  less  as  the 
extreme  hearing  distance  is  increased  or  decreased.    If  the 


Fig.  2.— Vertical  Section. 


88 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


length  is  decreased,  the  width  of  the  theatre  is  increased  • 
then  again  in  the  case  of  some  London  theatres  an  additional 
tier  is  added  to  its  height. 

The  theatre  of  San  Carlos  at  Naples  is  73  feet  from 
curtain-line  to  back  row  of  seats;  the  theatre  at  Bologne,  74 
feet.  Of  the  London  theatres  the  Adelphi  is  74  feet, 
seating  capacity  2300;  the  Covent  Garden  Theatre  80  feet, 
seating  capacity  3000;  the  Gaiety  53  feet  6  inches,  seating 
capacity  1150;  the  Lancaster  58  feet  4  inches,  seating  capac- 
ity 1 8 50;  the  Marlybone  75  feet,  seating  capacity  1400;  the 
Globe  Theatre  47  feet  6  inches,  seating  capacity  iioo. 

In  an  auditorium  70  to  75  feet  from  the  curtain-line  to 
the  back  of  the  parquette  seats,  by  70  to  75  feet  wide,  with 
balcony,  gallery,  and  boxes  adjoining  the  proscenium  wall. 
It  should  be  so  arranged  as  to  comfortably  seat  1800  to  200a 
persons.  The  ceiling  of  such  an  auditorium  should  be  from 
55  to  65  or  even  70  feet  high,  measuring  from  the  stage-level. 

The  architects  of  America  are  undoubtedly  indebted  to 
those  of  Great  Britain  for  their  knowledge  of  the  planning  of 
our  model  theatres.  A  number  of  remarks  upon  the  subject 
of  acoustics  and  sighting  have  been  selected  and  quoted  in 
these  articles  from  British  authors  which  have  been  found  to 
especially  refer  to  our  existing  buildings.  We  depend  mjpre 
upon  what  buildings  have  been  successful  in  their  acoustic 
and  sighting  properties  than  merely  upon  theoretical  rules 
upon  these  subjects,  and  in  our  description  of  the  plans  of 
these  buildings  all  their  measurements  and  details  are  fully 
given. 

SIGHTING.  * 

Many  failures  in  respect  to  sighting  are  largely  attributed 
to  the  designer  having  failed  to  realize  that  the  conditions 
contributing  to  perfection  of  sighting  in  a  church  or  lecture- 
hall,  where  the  speakers  are  stationary,  are  not  compatible 


90 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


with  the  exigencies  in  a  theatre,  where  the  speakers  are  con- 
tinually changing  their  position.  In  the  former  case  the 
sighting  is  to  one  single  point,  while  in  the  latter  it  must  be 
equally  good  to  a  series  of  points  extending  along  a  line  parallel 
with  the  spectator  and  some  30  to  40  feet  long,  according  to 
the  width  of  the  proscenium  opening. 

When  setting  up  "  the  sections  of  the  parquette  circle, 
balcony,  or  gallery  in  the  auditorium,  it  is  desirable  to  sight 
from  the  eye-level  of  the  spectator,  which  for  practical  pur- 
poses is  4  feet  2  inches  from  the  floor  when  the  spectator  is 
seated,  and  4  feet  10  inches  to  5  feet  when  he  is  standing. 
The  theoretical  principle  sometimes  adopted  when  fixing  the 
height  of  the  steppings  upon  which  the  seats  are  placed  is  as 
follows:  A  point  should  be  fixed  on  the  curtain-line  say  4 
feet  below  the  stage-level,  and  from  this  point — after  the 
distance  from  the  stage,  the  stepping,  and  floor-level  is  placed 
— set  up  the  spectators'  eyes  4  feet  2  inches  above  the  floor 
vertical  with  the  back  rail  of  the  seat.  Now  from  the  4-feet 
point  on  the  curtain-line  a  line  should  be  drawn  cutting 
through  the  eye  of  the  spectator  in  the  first  row,  and  produced 
until  it  cuts  a  vertical  line  set  up  at  the  back  of  the  second 
row.  Then  from  the  point  where  the  vertical  and  radial  lines 
intersect,  if  6  inches  is  measured  up,  that  point  will  give  the 
eye-level  of  the  second  row.  From  the  point  below  the  stage 
a  line  drawn  through  the  eye-level  of  the  second  row,  and 
produced  until  it  intersects  the  vertical  line  set  up  at  the 
back  of  the  third  row,  and  from  that  point  again  measured  up 
6  inches  for  each  row,  and  from  each  eye-level  measured  down 
4  feet  2  inches  will  give  the  floor-level  for  each  stepping. 

When  the  heights  of  the  stepping  are  obtained  in  the  fore- 
going manner,  the  nosings  are  not  tangent  to  a  straight  line, 
but  to  a  concave  curve,  and  the  steppings  are  not  equal  in 
height,  but  become  steeper  as  they  recede  from  the  stage. 
This  curve  has  been  named  ''the  isacoustic  "  or  equal-hearing 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


91 


curve,  and  is  a  refinement  seldom  practised.  By  referring  to 
the  view  from  the  stage  of  the  Chicago  Auditorium  Building, 
Introduction,  where  this  practice  has  been  adopted,  it  will  be 
plainly  perceptible  that  with  an  auditorium  of  great  depth 
(104  feet  in  this  case)  an  advantage  is  gained  by  the  above 
system.  Advantage  is  taken  of  this  rise  of  17  feet  to  obtain 
under  the  higher  parts  of  the  parquette  an  entrance-foyer 
80  by  118  feet,  and  a  series  of  wardrobes  and  cloak-rooms  of 
quite  generous  capacity.  This  unusually  great  rise  of  the 
main  floor  has  also  made  practicable  the  arrangement  of  six 
entrances,  similar  to  the  vomitoria  "  of  the  Roman  amphi- 
theatre, by  which  the  lower  half  of  the  parquette  seats  are 
reached  without  rendering  it  necessary  to  climb  to  the  upper 
level  of  the  main  floor.  Excessive  crowding  upon  the  main 
stairs  is  also  avoided. 

The  seats  are  also  arranged  in  the  first  balcony  in  the 
same  manner,  which  here  develops  a  rise  of  about  40  feet 
from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  seats.  Advantage  has  been 
taken  of  this  to  form  two  foyers,  of  which  the  lower  one  is 
40  and  the  upper  one  20  feet  wide. 

The  foregoing  arrangement  possesses  undoubted  acoustic 
advantages,  but  in  so  far  that  it  necessitates  an  excessive  rake 
in  the  floor  it  has  not  been  universally  adopted,  and  can  only 
be  used  succesfully  in  large  auditoriums  for  operas,  etc.,  but 
for  small  theatres,  of  which  this  book  treats,  a  considerable 
modification  of  this  system  must  be  adopted. 

The  rake  given  to  the  parquette  in  the  Chicago  Auditorium 
is  more  than  the  exigencies  of  a  reasonably  good  view  of  the 
stage  demand.  The  several  tiers  are  consequently  elevated 
and  the  gallery  raised  a  considerable  distance  above  the  level 
of  the  auditorium  ceiling. 

The  most  usual  method  adopted  to  find  the  rake  of  the 
seating  is  as  follows:  Having  settled  upon  the  position  of  the 
first  row  of  the  parquette  circle,  balcony,  or  gallery,  a  line 


92  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

should  be  drawn  from  a  point  4  feet  to  4  feet  6  inches  under 
stage  at  curtain-line,  and  from  this  point  an  extended  line 
touching  the  nosing  of  the  first  stepping.  To  this  line  the 
nosings  of  the  other  steppings  should  be  tangent.  (See  the 
sketch  section  Fig.  3.) 

The  soffit  of  the  front  row  of  the  balcony  or  gallery  should 
not  be  less  than  12  feet  from  the  stepping,  which  it  immedi- 
ately overhangs  in  the  circle  below,  to  prevent  any  discomfort 
and  depression  arising  from  the  audience  having  a  ceiling 
within  a  short  distance  of  their  heads. 

Further,  persons  placed  under  a  gallery  can  seldom  hear 
satisfactorily.  This  defect  arises  from  the  comparative  small- 
ness  of  the  space  in  front  of  the  circles  through  which  the 
sound  passes. 

By  arranging  the  height  of  the  steppings  on  the  foregoing 
plan  with  the  nosings  tangent  to  a  radial  line  drawn  from  a 
point  4  feet  below  the  stage-floor  it  is  evident  that  the  occu- 
pants of  the  central  part  of  the  circles  will  have  a  good  view 
of  the  stage,  while  those  at  the  extreme  sides  will  have  a  por- 
tion of  the  stage  cut  off  from  their  view  by  the  front  of  the 
circle-fronts.  It  is  therefore  important  that  the  12  feet  under 
the  soffits  of  the  fronts  of  balcony  and  gallery  be  increased 
rather  than  diminished,  especially  when  the  method  is  adopted 
of  raking  the  balcony  and  gallery  toward  the  sides  of  the  audi- 
torium. The  raking  fronts  to  the  circles  are  not  to  be  recom- 
mended on  artistic  grounds,  however  necessary  for  practical 
sighting.  The  appearance  of  the  interior  no  doubt  suggests 
a  tendency  of  the  raised  circles  falling  toward  the  stage. 
When  there  is  little  depth  to  the  auditorium,  this  is  particu- 
larly noticeable.  To  overcome  this  objection  there  seems  to 
be  no  practical  reason  to  prevent  the  first,  and  in  some  cases 
the  second,  row  of  seats,  together  with  the  circle  fronts, 
being  level,  and  the  back  rows  constructed  with  an  inclination 
from  the  centre  toward  the  sides  sufficient  to  obtain  the  requi- 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


93 


site  line  of  sight.  This  reverses  the  ordinary  practice,  but 
would  undoubtedly  give  satisfactory  results  as  regards  the 
sighting,  while  at  the  same  time  retaining  a  consistent  treat- 
ment of  the  architectural  and  decorative  features  of  the 
interior. 

THE  STAGE  AND  ITS  APPURTENANCES. 

The  necessary  mechanical  contrivances  for  working  the 
slides,"  bridges,"  and  traps  "  of  the  stage  can  only  be 
had  from  special  stage  carpenters  and  machinists,  and  before 
the  architect  can  successfully  design  this  portion  of  the  theatre 
with  all  its  structural  requirements  the  aid  of  these  mechanics 
is  required.  Large  stages  are  not  advocated,  small  stages 
being  more  desirable  for  dramatic  performances,  the  audience 
are  better  able  to  see  the  facial  expression  of  the  actors. 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  PROSCENIUM  OPENING. 

The  width  of  the  proscenium  opening  dominates  in  a  great 
measure  the  construction  of  the  stage;  in  fact  it  not  only 
determines  its  height,  width,  and  depth,  but  the  size  of  the 
auditorium.  A  large  proscenium  opening  increases  the  work- 
ing expenses;  the  size  of  flats,  wings,  borders,  etc.,  is  ma- 
terially increased.  In  all  the  examples  of  theatres  hereto- 
fore mentioned  and  described,  proscenium  openings  32  to  35 
wide  are  more  desirable.  In  the  Empire  Theatre  the  opening 
is  34  feet  wide,  Garrick's  34  feet,  and  Abbey's  35  feet. 


94 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  PROSCENIUM  OPENING. 

In  regard  to  the  construction  of  the  proscenium  opening, 
by  referring  to  the  sketch  it  will  be  seen  that  a  girder,  in  addi- 
tion to  a  large  brick  arch,  supports  the  wall  over  the  opening. 

The  New  York  Building  Law  requires  this  form  of  con- 
struction, and  in  this  case  the  girder  acts  more  as  a  tie  for 
the  arch  that  as  a  girder  supporting  a  direct  equally  distrib- 
uted load.  A  very  much  smaller  girder  could  be  adopted  to 
support  the  mason-work. to  the  under  sides  of  the  arch. 


The  stage-floor  is  constructed  as  shown  in  the  following 
sketch,  with  a  number  of  narrow  openings  parallel  with  the 
curtain. 

These  openings  are  closed  at  A  by  heavily  balanced  shut- 
ters termed  sliders,"  which  are  worked  by  special  mechanism 
under  the  stage -floor.    These  slides  can  be  raised  to  any 


desired  height,  equal  to  the  height  of  room  under  stage,  and 
if  the  depth  is  sufficient,  as  in  large  opera  stages,  a  mezzanine 
floor  is  constructed. 

A  wide  stage  is  very  desirable ;  it  should  hardly  be  less 
than  twice  the  width  of  the  proscenium  opening,  and  consider- 
ably larger  if  the  stairways  to  fly-galleries  and  dressing-rooms 
are  placed  directly  upon  the  stage. 

The  depth  of  the  stage  from  the  curtain-line  to  the  back 
wall  is  not  governed  by  any  arbitrary  rules  of  working,  but  a 
well-regulated  stage  should  have  its  depth  equal  to  or  very 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  STAGE-FLOOR. 


STAGE-FLOOR. 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


9S 


little  less  than  the  width  of  proscenium  opening.  Where 
actual  depth  is  wanting,  the  scenic  artist  will  be  required  to- 
conceal  the  deficiency  by  a  careful  adjustment  of  the  per- 
spectives. 

The  stage-floor  should  also  project  slightly  into  the  audi-^ 
torium.  Three  to  five  feet  is  a  good  limit  beyond  the  curtain- 
line.  Sometimes  we  see  stages  pitch  upward  toward  the  back, 
wall.  Although  some  advantage  may  be  gained  by  this, 
manner  of  construction,  it  is  not  always  desirable  nor  actually 
required.  The  height  of  stage — i.e.,  from  the  floor  to  the 
bottom  of  the  gridiron  "  or  rigging-loft — should  be  2  or  3 
feet  over  twice  the  height  of  proscenium  opening.  This 
allows  ample  room  for  any  contrivances  connected  with  the 
fire-curtain  to  raise  it  the  full  height  of  the  opening. 

FIRE- CURTAIN. 

There  are  many  materials  for  constructing  the  fire-curtain^ 
one  of  which  is  asbestos,  another  sheet  iron,  riveted  and 
joined  together. 

Probably  the  best  curtain  would  be  that  constructed  of 
asbestos  and  sheet  iron,  the  asbestos  being  filled  between  the 
sheet  iron  in  the  following  manner:  Construct  a  frame  of 
grooved  iron  about  i  inch  wide  and  rivet  to  each  side  sheets 
of  iron  and  fill  the  hollow  space  with  the  asbestos. 

The  curtain  is  balanced  and  counterweighted  something  in 
the  same  manner  as  a  window-sash,  and  works  in  iron  grooves 
on  each  side  of  the  proscenium  opening. 

The  curtain  is  generally  worked  by  hand ;  a  better  method 
is  that  in  which  the  head  is  secured  to  the  heads  of  hydraulic 
rams,  fitted  into  cylinders  placed  on  each  side  of  the 
proscenium  opening  and  worked  by  water  obtained  from  a 
tank  on  the  roof,  the  waste  water  being  discharged  into  a  tank 


96 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


in  the  basement  and  again  pumped  into  the  roof-tank,  the 
water  being  used  over  and  over  again. 

This  fire-curtain  can  be  controlled  from  the  orchestra  as 
well  as  from  the  stage-side. 

THE  GRIDIRON, 

as  its  name  suggests,  is  a  species  of  naked  flooring,  and  it 
forms  an  important  and  essential  feature  of  the  stage.  In  the 
Empire  and  Abbey  theatres  the  gridiron  is  suspended  from 
the  stage  roof-girders  with  large  beams  running  parallel  with 
the  proscenium  wall  and  smaller  beams  framed  and  secured  at 
right  angles  to  the  larger  beams;  upon  these  are  secured  the 
naked  timber  flooring  or  battens,  3  or  4  inches  by  i  J  to  2 
inches  thick,  and  laid  about  3  inches  apart.    In  the  inter- 


SECTION  OF  GRIDIRON,  EMPIRE  THEATRE. 


spaces  are  fixed  the  blocks  and  wheels  through  which  the 
ropes  run  that  suspend  the  cloths,"  the  ends  of  the  ropes 
being  secured  to  the  cleats  attached  to  the  pin-rails."  The 
battens  need  only  be  placed  upon  the  beams  over  that  portion 
of  the  stage  between  the    fly-galleries.  *  * 

The  gridiron  should  be  easy  of  access  and  sufficient  head- 
way allowed  to  enable  the  flymen  to  adjust  their  ropes  with 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


97 


facility  without  being  required  to  be  continually  stooping;  7 
feet  is  a  reasonable  height. 

The  above  sketch  represents  a  section  through  the  centre 
of  the  stage  of  the  Empire  Theatre,  showing  the  position  of 
the  gridiron  and  its  relation  to  the  roof.  The  gridiron  is  30 
feet  wide  by  67  feet  long,  covering  the  entire  stage,  and  is 
constructed  as  shown  of  two  lines  of  15-inch  beams  running 
parallel  the  long  way  of  the  stage;  upon  these  15 -inch  beams 
the  6-inch  beams  are  placed,  4  feet  to  4  feet  6  inches  apart, 
supported  and  thoroughly  secured  by  knees  and  bolts,  with- 
out tie-rods  or  arches.  Upon  the  6-inch  beams  the  wooden 
battens  previously  mentioned  are  secured. 

This  entire  framework  is  suspended  by  straps  and  tie-rods 
from  the  3-feet  plate-girders  of  the  roof. 

The  height  of  the  gridiron  from  the  stage  is  65  feet,  and 
it  is  suspended  7  feet  below  the  roof-girders. 

The  roof  of  the  stage  over  the  gridiron  is  constructed  of 
12-inch  beams,  placed  about  6  feet  apart,  resting  upon  cast- 
iron  blocks  of  different  heights  which  make  a  pitch  in  the  roof, 
and  bolted  to  the  top  plates  of  the  girders.  The  arches  that 
are  filled  in  between  the  12-inch  beams  are  constructed  with 
the  Guastavino  method  and  covered  with  asphalt. 

FLY-GALLERIES, 

usually  called  the  "  flies,"  are  stagings  or  floors  erected  on 
each  side  of  the  stage  at  right  angles  to  the  proscenium 
and  extending  the  entire  depth  of  the  stage.  The  width  of 
the  galleries  varies  according  to  circumstances ;  on  no  account 
should  they  extend  to  within  a  less  distance  than  4  feet  of 
the  proscenium  opening,  and  if  possible  should  be  increased 
from  6  to  9  feet. 

By  referring  to  the  plan  of  balcony  of  the  Empire 
Theatre,  a  better  conception  of  these  flies  can  be  had.  The 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


gallery  upon  the  right  is  8  feet  wide,  that  upon  the  left  lO 
feet.  The  distance  of  the  front  of  each  gallery  from  the 
proscenium  opening  is  7  feet  6  inches.  Directly  above  these 
fly-galleries  another  set  is  constructed  and  shown  upon  the 
gallery  plan  of  the  theatre,  the  right  being  6  feet  and  the  left 
8  feet  wide.  These  are  made  narrower  to  allow  the  ropes  from 
the  pin-rails  of  first  set  of  flies  passing  those  of  the  latter  set. 

The  height  of  the  first  set  of  flies  from  the  stage  is  28  feet 
and  of  the  second  set  20  feet.  These  galleries  are  now  con- 
structed entirely  fire-proof.  The  floor  is  formed  of  iron  or 
steel  beams,  one  end  resting  upon  brick  walls  at  the  side,  the 


other  end  upon  plate-  or  lattice-girders,  and  filled  in  between 
with  terra-cotta  arches  and  covered  with  a  cement  floor. 

The  top  of  the  plate-  or  lattice-girder  is  termed  the 
fly-rail,"  into  which  is  placed  a  series  of  pins — cast  iron, 
wrought  iron,  or  hard  wood.  The  ropes  used  for  slinging  the 
scenery  are  attached  to  these  pins,  and  become  subject  to 
considerable  strain.  Very  many  theatres  have  a  series  of 
wrought-iron  pipes  connected  to  these  lattice-girders,  and  the 
pins  let  into  holes  drilled  for  that  purpose  through  the  pipes. 

The  detail  herein  shown  represents  a  section  of  the  lower 
fly-galleries  of  the  Abbey  Theatre.  The  trusses  forming  the 
front  of  these  galleries  are  5  feet  in  depth  and  42  feet  8  inches 
long,  constructed  of  two  ^'  X  ^"  X  -k"  angle-irons  for  a  top 


i_L_l 


FLY-GALLERY  SECTION  WITH  PIN-RAILS. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES.  99 

chord,  and  a  V  X  (>"  angle  with  a  6"  X  plate  for  the 
bottom  chord,  with  double  3''  X  'h"  X  f^'  angles  crossed  for 
latticing,  and  braces  of  4^'  X  4'^  X  i''  angles  placed  about  8 
feet  or  two  floor-beams  apart,  to  which  they  are  secured. 

The  pin-rails  are  of  6-inch  wrought-iron  pipe  secured  to 
the  above  braces  by  wrought-iron  straps  as  shown. 

Through  the  pipe  2-inch  holes  8  inches  apart  are  drilled, 
into  which  are  inserted  the  pins. 

When  the  first  and  second  tiers  of  flies  "  are  not  suffi- 
ciently roomy,  as  in  very  large  theatres,  three  tiers  have  been 
found  requisite,  although  for  the  average  comedy  theatre  two 
are  all  that  will  be  required.  If  more  than  two  are  adopted, 
connect  the  first  and  third  by  lattice  bridges,  which  may  be 
suspended  from  the  roof-trusses,  or  made  sufficiently  strong 
to  span  the  entire  distance. 

The  first  set  of  fly-galleries  in  the  Abbey  Theatre  are 
connected  as  shown  in  the  sketch. 


PAINT  BRIDGE,  ABBEY's  THEATRE. 


This  paint-bridge  is  3  feet  high  by  50  feet  long,  and  is 
constructed  of  two  lattice-girders,  set  5  feet  6  inches  apart, 
upon  which  a  wooden  flooring  rests,  made  in  movable  sec- 
tions. The  top  and  bottom  chords  are  made  of  two  angles, 
Z"  X  3''  X  V\  and  the  latticing  of  2"  X  |"  flat  bars,  \6\ 
inches  apart,  as  shown,  riveted  to  the  angle-chords  and  to 
each  other  at  every  intersection  with  |-inch  rivets.  The  two 
trusses  are  braced  to  each  other  sideways  by  diaphragms  of 
2^'  X  2y  angles  crossed. 


100  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


The  above  trusses  are  as  economical  as  could  be  manufac- 
tured, and  can  be  used  for  any  span  from  25  up  to  50  feet. 

In  the  Empire  Theatre  the  paint-bridge  is  constructed  of 
four  angles  and  a  web-plate. 

In  regard  to  the  proper  position  of  these  paint-bridges, 
it  is  needless  to  remark  that  they  are  generally  placed  at  the 
back  of  the  stage.  Then,  again,  where  it  is  possible  to  have 
passages  back  of  and  beyond  the  stage,  they  are  not  needed, 
and  in  many  cases  interfere  with  the  proper  working  of  the 
scenery. 

From  the  above  we  infer  that  the  site  of  the  theatre  is 
sufficiently  large  to  admit  of  a  separate  large  and  lofty  room 
for  scene-painting. 

SLIDING  SKYLIGHT  OVER  STAGE. 

The  skylight  over  the  stage  required  by  the  New  York 
Building  Law  is  constructed  similar  to  that  shown  by  the 
sketch. 


SLIDING  SKYLIGHT  FOR  ROOF  OVER  STAGE. 


A  curb  of  angle-  or  tee-iron  is  formed  around  the  open- 
ings of  an  area  equal  to  one- eighth  the  area  of  stage-floor, 
and  when  the  rope  is  burned  or  loosened  the  glass  frame 
resting  upon  rollers  slides  down  the  tee-iron  ribs. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES, 


lOI 


APPENDIX. 

THE   NEW  YORK   BUILDING    LAW  RELATING 
TO  THEATRES. 

Section  500. 

Every  theatre  or  opera  house,  or  other  building  intended 
to  be  used  for  theatrical  or  operatic  purposes,  or  for  public 
entertainments  of  any  kind,  where  stage  scenery  and  apparatus 
is  employed,  hereafter  erected,  shall  be  built  to  comply  with 
the  requirements  of  this  section. 

The  Theatre  to  be  Approved  by  the  Superin- 
tendent OF  Buildings  before  being  Opened. — No  build- 
ing which  at  the  time  of  the  passage  of  this  act  is  not  in 
actual  use  for  theatrical  or  operatic  purposes,  and  no  building 
hereafter  erected  not  in  conformity  with  the  requirements  of 
this  section,  shall  be  used  for  theatrical  or  operatic  purposes, 
or  for  public  entertainments  of  any  kind,  where  stage  scenery 
and  apparatus  are  employed,  until  the  same  shall  have  been 
made  to  conform  to  the  requirements  of  this  section. 

And  no  building  hereinfore  described  shall  be  opened  to 
the  public  for  theatrical  or  operatic  purposes,  or  for  public  en- 
tertainments of  any  kind,  where  stage  scenery  or  apparatus 
is  employed,  until  the  superintendent  of  buildings  shall  have 
approved  the  same  in  writing  as  conforming  to  the  require- 
ments of  this  section;  and  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  New  York 
shall  refuse  to  issue  any  license  for  any  such  building,  and 
shall  close  the  same,  and  prevent  its  opening  until  a  certificate 
in  writing  of  such  approval  shall  have  been  given  by  the 
superintendent  of  buildings. 


102 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


Every  Theatre,  etc.,  to  have  One  Street  Front  and 
Side  Courts. — Every  such  building  shall  have  at  least  one 
street  front  on  the  street,  and  in  such  front  there  shall  be  suit- 
able means  of  entrance  and  exit  for  the  audience. 

In  addition  to  the  aforesaid  entrances  and  exits  on  the 
street,  there  shall  be  reserved,  for  service  in  case  of  an  emer- 
gency, an  open  court  or  space  on  the  side  not  bordering  on 
the  street  when  said  building  is  located  on  a  corner  lot,  and 
on  both  sides  of  said  building  where  there  is  but  one  frontage 
on  the  street. 

The  width  of  such  open  court  or  courts  shall  not  be  less 
than  seven  feet  where  the  seating  capacity  is  not  over  one 
thousand  people;  above  one  thousand  and  not  more  than 
eighteen  hundred  people,  eight  feet  in  width ;  and  above 
eighteen  hundred  people,  ten  feet  in  width.  Said  open  court 
or  courts  shall  begin  on  a  line  with  or  near  the  proscenium 
wall,  and  shall  extend  the  length  of  the  auditorium  proper,  to 
or  near  the  wall  separating  the  same  from  the  entrance-lobby 
or  vestibule. 

Separate  Corridors  to  Street. — A  separate  and  dis- 
tinct corridor  shall  continue  to  the  street,  from  each  open  court, 
through  such  superstructure  as  may  be  built  on  the  street 
side  of  the  auditorium,  with  continuous  walls  of  brick  or 
fire-proof  materials  on  each  the  entire  length  of  said  corridor 
or  corridors,  and  the  ceiling  and  floors  shall  be  fire-proof. 

Said  corridor  or  corridors  shall  not  be  reduced  in  width  to 
more  than  three  feet  less  than  the  width  of  the  open  court  or 
courts,  and  there  shall  be  no  projection  in  the  same;  the 
outer  openings  to  be  provided  with  doors  or  gates  opening 
toward  the  street.  During  the  performance  the  doors  or 
gates  in  the  corridor  shall  be  kept  open  by  proper  fastenings ; 
at  other  times  they  may  be  closed  and  fastened  by  movable 
bolts  and  locks. 


OF  AM  ERICA  iV  THEATRES, 


103 


The  said  open  courts  and  corridors  shall  not  be  used  for 
storage  purposes,  or  for  any  purpose  whatsoever,  except  for 
exit  and  entrance  from  and  to  the  auditorium  and  stage,  and 
must  be  kept  free  and  clear  during  performances. 

The  level  of  said  corridors  at  the  front  entrance  to  the 
building  shall  not  be  greater  than  one  step  above  the  level  of 
the  sidewalk  where  they  begin  at  the  street  entrance. 

The  entrance  of  the  main  front  of  the  building  shall  not 
be  on  a  higher  level  from  the  sidewalk  than  four  steps,  un- 
less approved  by  the  superintendent  of  buildings.  To  over- 
come any  difference  of  level  existing  between  exits  from 
the  parquet  into  courts  and  the  level  of  the  said  corri- 
dors, gradients  shall  be  employed  of  not  over  one  foot  in  ten 
feet  with  no  perpendicular  rises. 

Auditorium  Exits  to  Side  Courts. — From  the  audi- 
torium opening  into  the  said  open  courts,  or  on  the  side 
street,  there  shall  be  not  less  than  two  exits  on  each  side  in 
each  tier,  from  and  including  the  parquet,  and  each  and 
every  gallery. 

Each  exit  shall  be  at  least  five  feet  in  width  in  the  clear, 
and  provided  with  doors  of  iron  or  wood ;  if  of  wood,  the 
doors  shall  be  constructed  as  hereinbefore  in  this  title  de- 
scribed. All  of  said  doors  shall  open  outwardly,  and  must  be 
fastened  with  movable  bolts,  the  bolts  to  be  kept  drawn  dur- 
ing performances. 

Fire-escapes,  Balconies,  and  Staircases.  —  There 
shall  be  balconies  not  less  than  four  feet  in  width  in  the  said 
open  court  or  courts  at  each  level  or  tier  above  the  parquet, 
on  each  side  of  the  auditorium,  of  sufficient  length  to  embrace 
the  two  exits ;  and  from  said  balconies  there  shall  be  staircases 
extending  to  the  ground-level,  with  a  rise  of  not  over  eight 
and  one-half  inches  to  a  step,  and  not  less  than  nine  inches 
tread  exclusive  of  the  nosing.  The  staircase  from  the  upper 
balcony  to  the  next  below  shall  not  be  less  than  thirty  inches 


104  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

in  width  in  the  clear,  and  from  the  first  balcony  to  the  ground 
three  feet  in  width  in  the  clear,  where  the  seating  capacity  of 
the  auditorium  is  for  one  thousand  people  or  less;  three  feet 
and  six  inches  in  the  clear  where  above  one  thousand  and  not 
more  than  eighteen  hundred  people ;  and  four  feet  in  the 
clear  where  above  eighteen  hundred  people  and  not  more  than 
twenty-five  hundred  people ;  and  not  over  four  feet  six  inches 
in  the  clear  where  above  twenty-five  hundred  people. 

Metal  Awnings  over  Outside  Balconies  and 
Staircases. — All  the  before-mentioned  balconies  and  stair- 
cases shall  be  constructed  of  iron  throughout,  including  the 
floors,  and  of  ample  strength  to  sustain  the  load  to  be  carried 
by  them.;  and  they  shall  be  covered  with  a  metal  hood  or 
awning,  to  be  constructed  as  shall  be  directed  by  the  Super- 
intendent of  Buildings. 

Outside  Balconies  and  Staircases  on  Street  Side. 
— Where  one  side  of  the  building  borders  on  a  street,  there 
shall  be  balconies  and  staircases,  of  like  capacity  and  kind  as 
before  mentioned,  carried  to  the  ground. 

When  on  Corner  Lot,  a  Portion  of  Building  may 

BE  USED  FOR  BUSINESS  PURPOSES. — When  located  on  a 
corner  lot,  that  portion  of  the  premises  bordering  on  the  side 
street,  and  not  required  for  the  uses  of  the  theatre,  may,  if 
such  portion  be  not  more  than  twenty-five  feet  in  width,  be 
used  for  offices,  stores,  or  apartments,  provided  the  walls  sep- 
arating this  portion  from  the  theatre  proper  are  carried  up 
solidly  to  and  through  the  roof,  and  that  a  fireproof  exit  is 
*  provided  for  the  theatre  on  each  tier,  equal  to  the  combined 
width  of  exits  opening  on  opposite  sides  in  each  tier,  commu- 
nicating with  balconies  and  staircases  leading  to  the  street, 
in  manner  provided  elsewhere  in  this  section ;  said  exit  pas- 
sages shall  be  entirely  cut  off  by  brick  walls  from  said  offices, 
stores,  or  apartments,  and  the  floors  and  ceilings  in  each  tier 
shall  be  fireproof. 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES.  IO5 

Roof-garden  above  Theatre. — Nothing  herein  con- 
tained shall  prevent  a  roof-garden,  art  gallery,  or  rooms  for 
similar  purposes  being  placed  above  a  theatre  or  public  build- 
ing, provided  the  floor  of  the  same,  forming  the  roof  over 
such  theatre  or  building,  shall  be  constructed  of  iron  or  steel 
and  fireproof  materials,  and  that  said  floor  shall  have  no  cov- 
ering boards  or  sleepers  of  wood,  but  be  of  tile  or  cement. 

Every  roof  over  said  garden  or  rooms  shall  have  all  sup- 
ports and  rafters  of  iron  or  steel,  and  be  covered  with  glass  or 
fireproof  materials,  or  both, but  no  such  roof-garden,  art  gallery, 
or  room  for  any  public  purpose  shall  be  placed  over  or  above 
that  portion  of  any  theatre  or  other  building  which  is  used  as 
a  stage. 

Workshops,  Storage-  and  Property-rooms. — No 
workshop,  storage-  or  general  property-room  shall  be  allowed 
above  the  auditorium  or  stage,  or  under  the  same,  or  in  any 
of  the  fly-galleries.  All  of  said  rooms  or  shops  may  be  located 
in  the  rear  or  at  the  side  of  the  stage,  but  in  such  cases  they 
shall  be  separated  from  the  stage  by  a  brick  wall,  and  the 
openings  leading  into  said  portions  shall  have  fireproof  doors 
on  each  side  of  the  openings,  hung  to  iron  eyes  built  into  the 
wall. 

Use  of  Theatre  Buildings  for  Other  Purposes 
Prohibited. — No  portion  of  any  building  hereafter  erected 
or  altered,  used,  or  intended  to  be  used,  for  theatrical  or  other 
purposes  as  in  this  section  specified  shall  be  occupied  or  used 
as  a  hotel,  boarding-  or  lodging-house,  factory,  workshop,  or 
manufactory,  or  for  storage  purposes,  except  as  may  be  here- 
after specially  provided  for.  Said  restrictions  relate  not  only 
to  that  portion  of  the  building  which  contains  the  auditorium 
and  the  stage,  but  applies  also  to  the  entire  structure  in  con- 
junction herewith. 

No  store  or  room  contained  in  the  building,  or  the  ofifices, 
stores,  or  apartments  adjoining,  as  aforesaid,  shall  be  let  or 


io6 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


used  for  carrying  on  any  business  dealing  in  articles  designated 
as  specially  hazardous  in  the  classification  of  the  New  York 
Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  or  for  manufacturing  purposes. 
No  lodging  accommodation  shall  be  allowed  in  any  part  of 
the  building  communicating  with  the  auditorium. 

Interior  Walls  Fireproof. — Interior  walls  built  of 
fireproof  materials  shall  separate  the  auditorium  from  the  en- 
trance vestibule,  and  from  any  room  or  rooms  over  the  same; 
also  from  any  lobbies,  corridors,  refreshment  or  other  rooms. 

Enclosure  of  Staircases. — All  staircases  for  the  use  of 
the  audience  shall  be  enclosed  with  walls  of  brick,  or  of  fire- 
proof materials  approved  by  the  Superintendent  of  Buildings, 
in  the  stories  through  which  they  pass,  and  the  openings  to 
said  staircases  from  each  tier  shall  be  the  full  width  of  said 
staircase. 

Proscenium  Wall  and  Girder. — A  fire-wall,  built  of 
brick,  shall  separate  the  auditorium  from  the  stage,  and  the 
same  shall  extend  at  least  four  feet  above  the  stage-roof,  or 
the  auditorium-roof,  if  the  latter  be  the  higher,  and  shall  be 
coped. 

Above  the  proscenium  opening  there  shall  be  an  iron 
girder,  covered  with  fireproof  materials  to  protect  it  from  the 
heat.  There  shall  also  be  constructed  a  relieving  arch  over 
the  girder,  the  intervening  space  being  filled  in  with  hard- 
burnt  brick  of  the  full  thickness  of  the  proscenium  wall. 

Orchestra  Placed  above  the  Stage. — Should  there 
be  constructed  an  orchestra  over  the  stage  above  the  prosce- 
nium opening,  the  said  orchestra  shall  be  placed  on  the  audi- 
torium side  of  the  proscenium  fire-wall,  and  shall  be  entered 
only  from  the  auditorium  side  of  said  wall. 

Proscenium  Frame  Fireproof. — The  moulded  frame 
around  the  proscenium  opening  shall  be  formed  entirely  of 
fireproof  materials ;  if  metal  be  used,  the  metal  shall  be  filled 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TEES. 


107 


in  solid  with  non-combustible  material  and  securely  anchored 
to  the  wall  with  iron. 

Curtain  for  Proscenium  Opening  to  be  Fire- 
proof.— The  proscenium  opening  shall  be  provided  with  a 
fireproof  metal  curtain,  or  a  curtain  of  asbestos,  or  similar  fire- 
proof material  approved  by  the  Superintendent  of  Buildings, 
sliding  at  each  end  within  iron  grooves,  securel}^  fastened  to 
the  brick  wall,  and  extending  into  such  grooves  not  less  than 
six  inches  on  each  side.  Said  fireproof  curtain  shall  be  raised 
at  the  commencement  of  each  performance  and  lowered  at  the 
close  of  said  performance,  and  be  operated  by  approved  ma- 
chinery for  that  purpose.  The  proscenium  curtain  shall  be 
placed  at  least  three  feet  distant  from  the  footlights  at  the 
nearest  point. 

Iron  Doors  in  Proscenium  Wall. — All  doorways  or 
openings  through  the  proscenium  wall  from  the  auditorium,  in 
every  tier,  shall  have  doors  of  iron  or  wood  on  each  face 
of  the  wall ;  if  of  wood,  the  doors  shall  be  constructed  as 
hereinbefore  described,  and  the  doors  hung  so  as  to  be  opened 
from  either  side  at  all  times.  There  shall  be  no  openings  in 
the  proscenium  fire-wall  above  the  level  of  the  auditorium  ceil- 
ing. Direct  access  to  these  doors  shall  be  provided  on  both 
sides,  and  the  same  shall  always  be  kept  free  from  any  encum- 
brance. 

Iron  ladders  or  stairs,  securely  fixed  to  the  wall,  on  the 
stage  side,  shall  be  provided  to  overcome  any  dilTerence  of 
level  existing  between  the  floor  or  galleries  on  the  stage  side 
of  the  fire-wall  and  those  on  the  auditorium. 

Skylights  over  Stage. — There  shall  be  provided  over 
the  stage  metal  skylights,  of  an  area  or  combined  area  of  at 
least  one-eighth  the  area  of  said  stage,  fitted  up  with  sliding 
sash  and  glazed  with  double-thick  sheet  glass  not  exceeding 
one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  and  each  pane  thereof  measuring 
not  less  than  three  hundred  square  inches,  and  the  whole  of 


io8 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


which  skylight  shall  be  so  constructed  as  to  open  instantly 
on  the  cutting  or  burning  of  a  hempen  cord,  which  shall  be 
arranged  to  hold  said  skylights  closed,  or  some  other  equally 
simple  approved  device  for  opening  them  may  be  provided. 

Construction  of  Stagp:-floor. — All  that  portion  of 
the  stage  not  comprised  in  the  working  of  scenery,  traps, 
and  other  mechanical  apparatus  for  the  presentation  of  a 
scene,  usually  equal  to  the  width  of  the  proscenium  opening, 
shall  be  built  of  iron  or  steel  beams  filled  in  between  with 
fireproof  material,  and  all  girders  for  the  support  of  said 
beams  shall  be  of  wrought  iron  or  rolled  steel. 

Fly-gallery  Construction. — The  fly-galleries  entire, 
including  pin-rails,  shall  be  constructed  of  iron  or  steel,  and 
the  floors  of  said  galleries  shall  be  composed  of  iron  or  steel 
beams  filled  in  between  with  fireproof  materials,  and  no 
wood  boards  or  sleepers  shall  be  used  as  covering  over 
beams,  but  the  said  floors  shall  be  entirely  fireproof. 

Rigging-loft  or  Gridiron. — The  rigging-loft  shall  be 
fireproof,  except  the  floor  covering  the  same. 

Stage  Scenery. — All  stage  scenery,  curtains,  and  deco- 
rations made  of  combustible  material,  and  all  woodwork  on 
or  about  the  stage,  shall  be  saturated  with  some  non-com- 
bustible material,  or  otherwise  rendered  safe  against  fire,  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  superintendent  of  buildings. 

Roof,  Floors,  AxNd  Galleries  to  be  Fireproof. — 
The  roof  over  the  auditorium  and  the  entire  main  floor  of 
the  auditorium  and  vestibule,  also  the  entire  floor  of  the 
second  story  of  the  front  superstructure  over  the  entrance, 
lobby,  and  corridors,  and  all  galleries  in  the  auditorium,  shall 
be  constructed  of  iron  or  steel  and  fireproof  materials,  not 
excluding  the  use  of  wooden  floor-boards  and  necessary 
sleepers  to  fasten  the  same  to,  but  such  sleepers  shall  not  mean 
timbers  of  support. 

Gallery  fronts. — The  fronts  of  each  gallery  shall  be 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


109 


formed  of  fireproof  materials,  except  the  capping,  which  may 
be  of  wood. 

Ceilings  of  Galleries  and  Auditorium. — The  ceil- 
ing under  each  gallery  shall  be  entirely  formed  of  fireproof 
materials. 

The  ceiling  of  the  auditorium  shall  be  formed  of  fireproof 
materials. 

All  lathing  wherever  used  shall  be  of  metal. 

Partitions  and  Furring  to  be  Fireproof. — The; 
partitions  in  that  portion  of  the  building  which  contains  the 
auditorium,  the  entrance  vestibule,  and  every  room  and 
passage  devoted  to  the  use  of  the  audience,  shall  be  con- 
structed of  fireproof  materials,  including  the  furring  of  out- 
side or  other  walls.  None  of  the  walls  or  ceilings  shall  be 
covered  with  wood  sheathing,  canvas,  or  any  combustible 
material.  But  this  shall  not  exclude  the  use  of  wood  wains- 
coting to  a  height  not  to  exceed  six  feet,  which  shall  be  filled 
in  solid  between  the  wainscoting  and  the  wall  with  fireproof 
material. 

Dressing-room  Partitions. — The  walls  separating  the 
actors'  dressing-rooms  from  the  stage,  and  the  partitions 
dividing  the  dressing-rooms,  together  with  the  partition  of 
every  passageway  from  the  same  to  the  stage,  and  all  other 
partitions  on  or  about  the  stage,  shall  be  constructed  of  fire- 
proof material  approved  by  the  superintendent  of  buildings. 

All  doors  in  any  said  partitions  shall  be  of  iron,  or  of  wood 
* 

constructed  as  hereinbefore  described. 

All  the  shelving  and  cupboards  in  each  and  every  dressing- 
room,  property-room,  or  other  storage-rooms  shall  be  con- 
structed of  metal,  slate,  or  some  fireproof  material. 

Dressing-rooms  in  Fly-galleries. — Dressing-rooms 
may  be  placed  in  fly-galleries,  provided  that  proper  exits 
are  secured  therefrom  to  the  fire-escapes  in  the  open  courts, 
and  that  the  partitions  and   other  matters   pertaining  to 


no  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


dressing-rooms  shall  conform  to  the  requirements  herein  con- 
tained, but  the  stairs  leading  to  the  same  shall  be  fireproof. 

Auditorium  Seats. — All  seats  in  the  auditorium,  ex- 
cepting those  contained  in  boxes,  shall  be  firmly  secured  to 
the  floor,  and  no  seat  in  the  auditorium  shall  have  more  than 
six  seats  intervening  between  it  and  an  aisle  on  either  side, 
and  no  stool  or  seat  shall  be  placed  in  any  aisle. 

Platforms  to  Receive  Seats  in  Galleries. — All 
platforms  in  galleries  formed  to  receive  the  seats  shall  not  be 
more  than  twenty-one  inches  in  height  of  riser  nor  less  than 
thirty  inches  in  width  of  platform. 

Auditorium  Aisles. — All  aisles  on  the  respective  floors 
in  the  audtiorium  having  seats  on  both  sides  of  same  shall 
not  be  less  than  three  feet  wide  where  they  begin,  and  shall 
be  increased  in  width  towards  the  exits  in  the  ratio  of  one 
and  one-half  inches  to  five  running  feet.  Aisles  having  seats 
on  one  side  only  shall  be  not  less  than  two  feet  wide  at  their 
beginning  and  increase  in  width  the  same  as  aisles  having 
seats  on  both  sides. 

Capacity  of  Foyers,  Corridors,  etc..  Governed  by 
Audience. — The  aggregate  capacity  of  the  foyers,  lobbies, 
corridors,  passages,  and  rooms  for  the  use  of  the  audience, 
not  including  aisle-space  between  seats,  shall,  on  each  floor 
of  the  gallery,  be  sufficient  to  contain  the  entire  number  to 
be  accommodated  on  said  floor  or  gallery,  in  the  ratio  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  superficial  feet  of  floor-room  for  every  one 
.hundred  persons. 

Inclined  Planes  in  Aisles. — Gradients  or  inclined 
planes  shall  be  employed  instead  of  steps  where  possible  to 
overcome  slight  difference  of  level  in  or  between  aisles,  corri- 
dors, and  passages. 

Exits — Number  Proportioned  to  Capacity  of 
House. — Every  theatre  accommodating  three  hundred 
persons  shall  have  at  least  two  exits;  when  accommodating 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES, 


III 


five  hundred,  at  least  three  exits  shall  be  provided ;  these 
exits  not  referring  to  or  including  the  exits  to  the  open  court 
or  side  of  the  theatre. 

Width  of  Exit-doors. — Doorways  of  exit  or  entrance 
for  the  use  of  the  public  shall  not  be  less  than  five  feet  in 
width,  and  for  every  additional  one  hundred  persons  or  por- 
tions thereof  to  be  accommodated  in  excess  of  five  hundred 
an  aggregate  of  twenty  inches  additional  exit  width  must  be 
allowed. 

Exit-doors  to  Open  Outwardly. — All  doors  of  exit 
or  entrance  shall  open  outwardly,  and  be  hung  to  swing  in 
such  a  manner  as  not  to  become  an  obstruction  in  a  passage 
or  corridor,  and  no  such  doors  shall  be  closed  and  locked 
during  any  representation,  or  when  the  building  is  open  to 
the  public. 

Gallery  Exits  and  Entrances. — Distinct  and  sepa- 
rate places  of  exit  and  entrance  shall  be  provided  for  each 
gallery  above  the  first. 

Main-floor  and  First-gallery  Exits. — A  common 
place  of  exit  and  entrance  may  serve  for  the  main  floor  of 
the  auditorium  and  the  first  gallery,  provided  its  capacity  be 
equal  to  the  aggregate  capacity  of  the  outlets  from  the  main 
floor  and  the  said  gallery. 

Width  of  Passage  Leading  to  Stairways.  —  No 
passage  leading  to  any  stairway  communicating  with  any  en- 
trance or  exit  shall  be  less  than  four  feet  in  width  in  any  part 
thereof. 

Stairways. — All  stairs  within  the  building  shall  be  con- 
structed of  fireproof  material  throughout. 

Stairways  serving  for  the  exit  of  fifty  people  must,  if 
straight,  be  at  least  four  feet  wide  between  railings,  or  be- 
tween walls,  and  if  curved  or  winding  five  feet  wide ;  and  for 
every  additional  fifty  people  to  be  accommodated  six  inches 
must  be  added  to  their  width. 


112  7' HE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 

In  no  case  shall  the  risers  of  any  stairs  exceed  seven  and  a 
half  inches  in  height,  nor  shall  the  treads  exclusive  of  nosing 
be  less  than  ten  and  one-half  inches  wide  in  straight  stairs. 
In  circular  or  winding  stairs  the  width  of  the  tread  at  the 
narrowest  end  shall  not  be  less  than  seven  inches. 

Where  the  seating  capacity  is  for  more  than  one  thousand 
people,  there  shall  be  at  least  two  independent  staircases, 
with  direct  exterior  outlets,  provided  for  each  gallery  in  the 
auditorium,  where  there  are  not  more  than  two  galleries,  and 
the  same  shall  be  located  on  opposite  sides  of  said  galleries. 

Where  there  are  more  than  two  galleries,  one  or  more 
additional  staircases  shall  be  provided,  the  outlets  from  which 
shall  communicate  directly  with  the  principal  exit  or  other 
exterior  outlets. 

All  said  staircases  shall  be  of  width  proportioned  to  the 
seating  capacity  as  elsewhere  herein  prescribed.  Where  the 
seating  capacity  is  for  one  thousand  people  or  less,  two  direct 
lines  of  staircases  only  shall  be  required,  located  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  galleries,  and  in  both  cases  shall  extend  from  the 
sidewalk-level  to  the  upper  gallery,  with  outlets  from  each 
gallery  to  each  of  said  staircases. 

Stage  Stairway. — At  least  two  independent  staircases 
with  direct  exterior  outlets  shall  also  be  provided  for  the 
service  of  the  stage,  and  shall  be  located  on  the  opposite 
sides  of  the  same. 

Stairways  to  Upper  Galleries  Enclosed  with 
Walls. — All  inside  stairways  leading  to  the  upper  galleries 
of  the  auditorium  shall  be  enclosed  on  both  sides  with  walls 
of  fireproof  materials.  Stairs  leading  to  the  first  or  lower 
gallery  may  be  left  open  on  one  side,  in  which  case  they  shall 
be  constructed  as  herein  provided  for  similar  stairs  leading 
from  the  entrance-hall  to  the  main  floor  of  the  auditorium. 
But  in  no  case  shall  stairs  leading  to  any  gallery  be  left  open 
on  both  sides. 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES. 


Stair-landings. — When  straight  stairs  return  directly 
on  themselves,  a  landing  of  the  full  width  of  both  flights, 
without  any  steps,  shall  be  provided.  Stairs  turning  at  an 
angle  shall  have  a  proper  landing  without  winders  intro- 
duced at  said  turn.  In  stairs  when  two  side  flights  connected 
with  one  main  flight  no  winders  shall  be  introduced,  and  the 
width  of  the  main  flight  shall  be  at  least  equal  to  the  aggre- 
gate width  of  the  side  flights.  Circular  or  winding  stairs  shall 
have  proper  landings  introduced  at  convenient  distances.  . 

Stair  Hand-rails. — All  enclosed  staircases  shall  have 
on  both  sides  strong  hand-rails  firmly  secured  in  the  wall 
about  three  inches  distant  therefrom,  and  about  three  feet 
above  the  stairs,  but  said  hand-rails  shall  not  run  on  level 
platforms  and  landings  where  the  same  is  more  in  length 
than  the  width  of  the  stairs. 

All  staircases  six  feet  and  over  in  width  shall  be  provided 
with  a  centre  hand-rail  of  hard  wood  or  metal,  not  less  than 
two  inches  in  diameter,  placed  at  a  height  of  about  three  feet 
above  the  centre  of  the  treads,  and  supported  on  wrought- 
iron  or  brass  standards  of  sufficient  strength  placed  not  nearer 
than  four  feet  nor  more  than  six  feet  apart,  and  securely 
bolted  to  the  treads  or  risers  of  stairs,  or  both,  and  at  the 
head  of  each  flight  of  stairs,  on  each  landing,  the  post  or 
standard  shall  be  at  least  six  feet  in  height,  to  whieh  the  rail 
shall  be  secured. 

Steam-boilers  Located. — Every  steam-boiler  which 
maybe  required  for  heating  or  other  purposes  shall  be  located 
outside  of  the  building,  and  the  space  allotted  to  the  same 
shall  be  enclosed  by  walls  of  masonry  on  all  sides,  and  the 
ceiling  of  such  space  shall  be  constructed  of  fireproof  ma- 
terials.   All  doorways  in  said  walls  shall  have  iron  doors. 

Heating. — No  floor-registers  for  heating  shall  be  per- 
mitted. 

No  coil  or  radiator  shall  be  placed  in  any  aisle  or  passage- 


114  THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


way  used  as  an  exit ;  but  all  said  coils  and  radiators  shall  be 
placed  in  recesses  formed  in  the  wall  or  partition  to  receive 
the  same. 

All  supply-,  return-,  or  exhaust-pipes  shall  be  properly 
encased  and  protected  where  passing  through  floors  or  near 
woodwork. 

Standpipes.  —  Standpipes  of  two  and  one-half  inches 
diameter  shall  be  provided  with  hose  attachments  on  every 
floor  and  gallery  as  follows,  namely :  One  on  each  side  of  the 
auditorium  in  each  tier,  also  on  each  side  of  the  stage  in 
each  tier,  and  at  least  one  in  the  property-room,  and  one  in 
the  carpenter-shop,  if  the  same  be  contiguous  to  the  build- 
ing. All  such  standpipes  shall  be  kept  clear  from  obstruc- 
tion. Said  stand  pipes  shall  be  separate  and  distinct, 
receiving  the  supply  of  water  direct  from  the  steam-pumps, 
and  shall  be  fitted  with  the  regulation  couplings  of  the  fire 
department,  and  shall  be  kept  constantly  filled  with  water 
by  means  of  an  automatic  steam-pump  or  pumps  of  sufficient 
capacity  to  supply  all  the  lines  of  hose  when  operated  simul- 
taneously; and  said  pump  or  pumps  shall  be  supplied  from 
the  street-main  and  be  ready  for  immediate  use  at  all  times 
during  a  performance  in  said  building. 

Automatic  Sprinklers. — A  separate  and  distinct  sys- 
tem of  automatic  sprinklers  with  fusible  plugs  approved  by 
the  superintendent  of  buildings,  supplied  with  water  from  a 
tank  located  on  the  roof  over  the  stage,  and  not  connected 
in  any  manner  with  the  standpipes,  shall  be  placed  up  and 
around  the  proscenium  opening  and  on  the  ceiling  or  roof 
over  the  stage  at  such  intervals  as  will  protect  every  square 
foot  of  stage-surface  when  sprinklers  are  in  operation. 
Automatic  sprinklers  shall  also  be  placed,  wherever  practi- 
cable, under  the  stage  and  in  the  carpenter-shop,  paint- 
rooms,  storerooms,  and  property-rooms. 

Fire-hose. — A  proper  and  sufficient  quantity  of  two  and 


OF  AMERICAN  THEATRES. 


one-half  inch  hose  fitted  with  the  regulation  couplings  of  the 
fire  department,  and  with  nozzles  attached  thereto,  and  with 
hose-spanners  at  each  outlet,  shall  always  be  kept  attached 
to  each  hose  attachment. 

Casks  of  Water. — There  shall  also  be  kept  in  readiness 
for  immediate  use  on  the  stage  at  least  four  casks  full  of 
water,  and  two  buckets  to  each  cask.  Said  casks  and  buckets 
shall  be  painted  red. 

Portable  Extinguishers. — There  shall  also  be  pro- 
vided hand-pumps  or  other  portable  fire-extinguishing  appa- 
ratus, and  at  least  four  axes  and  two  twenty-five-foot  hooks, 
two  fifteen-foot  hooks,  and  two  ten-foot  hooks  on  each  tier 
or  floor  of  the  stage. 

Lighting. — Every  portion  of  the  building  devoted  to  the 
uses  or  accommodation  of  the  public,  also  all  outlets  leading 
to  the  streets,  and  including  the  open  courts  and  corridors, 
shall  be  well  and  properly  lighted  during  every  performance, 
and  the  same  shall  be  lighted  until  the  entire  audience  has 
left  the  premises. 

At  least  two  or  more  oil-lamps  on  each  side  of  the  audi- 
torium in  each  tier  shall  be  provided  on  fixed  brackets  not  less 
than  seven  feet  above  the  floor.  Said  lamps  shall  be  filled 
with  whale-  or  lard-oil,  and  shall  be  kept  lighted  during  each 
performance,  or  in  place  of  said  lamps  candles  shall  be  pro- 
vided. 

All  gas  or  electric  lights  in  the  halls,  corridors,  lobby,  or 
any  other  part  of  said  buildings  used  by  the  audience,  except 
the  auditorium,  must  be  controlled  by  a  separate  shut-off 
located  in  the  lobby,  and  controlled  only  in  that  particular 
place. 

Gas-mains  supplying  the  building  shall  have  independent 
connections  for  the  auditorium  and  the  stage,  and  provision 
shall  be  made  for  shutting  off  the  gas  from  the  outside  of  the 
building. 


Ii6 


THE  PLANNING  AND  CONSTRUCTION 


When  interior  gas-lights  are  not  lighted  by  electricity,, 
other  suitable  appliances,  to  be  approved  by  the  superintend- 
ent of  buildings,  shall  be  provided. 

All  suspended  or  bracket  lights  surrounded  by  glass  in  the 
auditorium  or  in  any  part  of  the  building  devoted  to  the 
public  shall  be  provided  with  proper  wire  netting  underneath. 

No  gas  or  electric  light  shall  be  inserted  in  the  walls, 
woodwork,  ceilings,  or  in  any  part  of  the  building  unless  pro- 
tected by  fireproof  materials. 

All  lights  in  passages  and  corridors  in  said  buildings,  and 
wherever  deemed  necessary  by  the  superintendent  of  build- 
ings, shall  be  protected  with  proper  wire  network. 

The  footlights,  in  addition  to  the  wire  network,  shall  be 
protected  with  a  strong  wire  guard  not  less  than  two  feet  dis- 
tant from  said  footlights,  and  the  trough  containing  said  foot- 
lights shall  be  formed  of  and  surrounded  by  fireproof  materials. 

All  border-lights  shall  be  constructed  according  to  the 
best  known  methods,  and  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  com- 
missioners of  the  fire  department,  and  shall  be  suspended  for 
ten  feet  by  wire  rope. 

All  ducts  or  shafts  used  for  conducting  heated  air  from  the 
main  chandelier,  or  from  any  other  light  or  lights,  shall  be 
constructed  of  metal  and  made  double  with  an  air-space 
between. 

All  stage-lights  shall  have  strong  metal-wire  guards  or 
screens,  not  less  than  ten  inches  in  diameter,  so  constructed 
that  any  material  in  contact  therewith  shall  be  out  of  reach 
of  the  flames  of  said  stage-lights,  and  must  be  soldered  to  the 
fixtures  in  all  cases. 

The  standpipes,  gas-pipes,  electric  wires,  hose,  foot- 
lights, and  all  apparatus  for  the  extinguishing  of  fire  or  guard- 
ing against  the  same,  as  in  the  section  specified,  shall  be  in 
charge  and  under  control  of  the  department  of  buildings,  and 
the  superintendent  of  said  department  is  hereby  directed  ta 


OF  AMERICAN  THE  A  TRES, 


117 


see  that  the  arrangements  in  respect  thereto  are  carried  out 
and  enforced. 

A  diagram  or  plan  of  each  tier,  gallery,  or  floor,  showing 
distinctly  the  exits  therefrom,  shall  be  printed  in  a  legible 
manner  on  the  programme  of  the  performance. 

Every  exit  shall  have  over  the  same  on  the  inside  the 
word  Exit"  painted  in  legible  letters  not  less  than  eight 
inches  high. 


SHORT-TITLE  CATALOGUE 

OP  THE 

PUBLICATIONS 

OF 

JOHN  WILEY  &  SONS, 

New  York. 

London:  CHAPMAN  &  HALL,  Limited. 

ARRANGED  UNDER  SUBJECTS. 

Descriptive  circulars  sent  on  application.  Books  marked  with  an  asterisk  are 
sold  at  net  prices  only,  a  double  asterisk  (**)  books  sold  under  the  rules  of  the 
American  Publishers*  Association  at  net  prices  subject  to  an  extra  charge  for 
postage.    All  books  are  bound  in  cloth  unless  otherwise  stated. 


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Practical  Farm  Drainage  i2mo,  i  o 

Green's  Principles  of  American  Forestry.  (Shortly.) 

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Kemp's  Landscape  Gardening  i2mo,  2  50 

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WoU's  Handbook  for  Farmers  and  Dairymen  i6mo,  i  50 

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Birkmire's  Planning  and  Construction  of  American  Theatres   Svo,  3  00 

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Compound  Riveted  Girders  as  Applied  in  Buildings  Svo,  2  00 

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Skeleton  Construction  in  Buildings  Svo,  3  00 

Briggs's  Modern  American  School  Buildings  Svo,  4  00 

Carpenter's  Heating  and  Ventilating  of  Buildings  Svo,  4  00 

Freitag's  Architectural  Engineering.    2d  Edition,  Rewritten  Svo,  350 

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French  and  Ives's  Stereotomy  Svo,  2  50 

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1 


oo 


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Johnson's  Statics  by  Algebraic  and  Graphic  Methods  8vo,  2  00 

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Merrill's  Stones  for  Building  and  Decoration  Svo,  5  00 

Mo  nekton's  Stair-building  4to,  4  00 

Patton's  Practical  Treatise  on  Foundations  Svo,  5  00 

Siebert  and  Biggin's  Modern  Stone-cutting  and  Masonry  Svo,  i  50 

Snow's  Principal  Species  of  Wood  Svo,  3  sO' 

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(Shortly.) 

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Sheep,  6  50 

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Sheep,  5  50 

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Woodbury's  Fire  Protection  of  Mills  Svo,  2  50 

Worcester  and  Atkinson's  Small  Hospitals,  Establishment  and  Maintenance, 
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i2mo,  I  25 

The  World's  Columbian  Exposition  of  1893  Large  4to,  i  00 


ARMY  AND^NAVY. 

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Molecule  i2mo,  2  50 

*  Bruff's  Text-book  Ordnance  and  Gunnery  Svo,  6  00 

Chase's  Screw  Propellers  and  Marine  Propulsion  Svo,  3  00 

Craig's  Azimuth  4to,  3  50 

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*  Davis's  Elements  of  Law  Svo,  2  50 

*  Treatise  on  the  Military  Law  of  United  States  Svo,  7  00 

*  Sheep  7  50 

De  Brack's  Cavalry  Outpost  Duties.    (Carr.)  24mo,  morocco,  2  00 

Dietz's  Soldier's  First  Aid  Handbook  i6mo,  morocco,  i  25 

*  Dredge's  Modern  French  Artiilery  4to,  half  morocco,  15  00 

Durand's  Resistance  and  Propulsion  of  Ships  Svo,  5  00 

*  Dyer's  Handbook  of  Light  Artillery  12 mo,  3  00 

Eissler's  Modern  High  Explosives  Svo,  4  00 

*  Fiebeger's  Text-book  on  Field  Fortification  Small  Svo,  2  00 

Hamilton's  The  Gunner's  Catechism  iSmo,  i  00 

*  Hoff's  Elementary  Naval  Tactics  Svo,  i  50 

Ingalls's  Handbook  of  Problems  in  Direct  Fire  Svo,  4  00 

*  Ballistic  Tables  Svo,  i  50 

*  Lyons's  Treatise  on  Electromagnetic  Phenomena.  Vols.  I.  and  H .  .  Svo,  each,  6  00 

*  Mahan's  Permanent  Fortifications.    (Mercur.)  Svo,  half  morocco,  7  50 

Manual  for  Courts-martial  i6mo  morocco,  i  50 

*  Mercur's  Attack  of  Fortified  Places  i2mo,  2  00 

*  Elements  of  the  Art  of  War  Svo,  400 

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and  Private  8vo,  5  00 

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Powell's  Army  Officer's  Examiner  ;  i2mo,  4  00 

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2 


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Young's  Simple  Elements  of  Navigation  i6mo,  morocco,  i  00 

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ASSAYING. 

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i2mo,  morocco,   i  50 


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Miller's  Manual  of  Assaying  i2mo,  i  00 

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Ricketts  and  Miller's  Notes  on  Assaying  8vo,  3  00 

Ulke's  Modern  Electrolytic  Copper  Refining  8vo,  3  00 

Wilson's  Cyanide  Processes  i2mo,  i  50 

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Craig's  Azimuth  4to,  3  50 

Doolittle's  Treatise  on  Practical  Astronomy  8vo,  4  00 

Gore's  Elements  of  Geodesy  8vo,  2  50 

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Merriman's  Elements  of  Precise  Surveying  and  Geodesy  8vo,  2  50 

*  Michie  and  Harlow's  Practical  Astronomy  8vo,  3  00 

*  White's  Elements  of  Theoretical  and  Descriptive  Astronomy  i2mo,  2  00 


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i6mo,  morocco,   i  25 


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Westermaier's  Compendium  of  General  Botany.    (Schneider.)  8vo,  2  00 

CHEMISTRY. 

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Allen's  Tables  for  Iron  Analysis  8vo,  3  00 

Arnold's  Compendium  of  Chemistry.    (Mandel.)    (In  preparation.) 

Austen's  Notes  for  Chemical  Students                                                   i2mo,  i  50 

Bernadou's  Smokeless  Powder. — Nitro-cellulose,  and  Theory  of  the  Cellulose 

Molecule  i2mo,  2  50 

Bolton's  Quantitative  Analysis  8vo,  i  50 

*  Browning's  Introduction  to  the  Rarer  Elements  8vo,  i  50 

Brush  and  Penfield's  Manual  of  Determinative  Mineralogy  8vo,  4  90 

Classen's  Quantitative  Chemical  Analysis  by  Electrolysis.  (Boltwood.)  .,..8vo  3  00 

Cohn's  Indicators  and  Test-papers  i2mo,  2,  00 

Tests  and  Reagents  8vo,  '  3  60 

Copeland's  Manual  of  Bacteriology.    (In  preparation,) 

Craft's  Sliort  Course  in  Qualitative  Chemical  Analysis.  (Schaeffer.) .  .  .  .  izmo,  2  00 

Drechsel's  Chemical  Reactions.    (Merrill.)  i2mo,  i  25 

Duhem's  Thermodynamics  and  Chemistry.    (Burgess.)    (Shortly.)       |1  ,  , 

Eissler's  Modern  High  Explosives                                                         .'8vo^,'  '4'  60 

3 


Eff rent's  Enzymes  and  their  Applications.    (Prescott.)  8vo,  300 

Erdmann's  Introduction  to  Chemical  Preparations.    (Dunlap.)  i2mo,  i  25 

Fletcher's  Practical  Instructions  in  Quantitative  Assaying  with  the  Blowpipe. 

i2mo,  morocco,  i  50 

Fowler's  Sewage  Works  Analyses  i2mo,  2  00 

Fresenius's  Manual  of  Qualitative  Chemical  Analysis.    (Wells.)  8vo,  5  00 

Manual  of  Qualitative  Chemical  Analysis.    Parti.   Descriptive.  (Wells.) 

8vo,  3  00 

System  of  Instruction  in   Quantitative  Chemical  Analysis.  (Cohn.) 
2  vols.  (Shortly.) 

Fuertes's  Water  and  Public  Health  i2mo,  i  50 

Furman's  Manual  of  Practical  Assaying  8vo,  3  00 

Gill's  Gas  and  Fuel  Analysis  for  Engineers  i2mo,  i  25 

Grotenfelt's  Principles  of  Modern  Dairy  Practice.    (WoU.)  i2mo,  2  00 

Hammarsten's  Text-book  of  Physiological  Chemistry.    (Mandel.)  8vo,  4  00 

Helm's  Principles  of  Mathematical  Chemistry.    (Morgan.)  i2mo.  i  50 

Hinds's  Inorganic  Chemistry  8vo,  3  00 

•  Laboratory  Manual  for  Students  i2mo,  75 

Holleman's  Text-book  of  Inorganic  Chemistry.    (Cooper.)  8vo,  250 

Text-book  of  Organic  Chemistry.    (Walker  and  Mott.)  8vo,  250 

Hopkins's  Oil-chemists'  Handbook  8vo,  3  00 

Jackson's  Directions  for  Laboratory  Work  in  Physiological  Chemistry.  .8vo,  i  00 

Keep's  Cast  Iron  8vo,  2  50 

Ladd's  Manual  of  Quantitative  Chemical  Analysis  1 2mo .  i  00 

Landauer's  Spectrum  Analysis.   (Tingle.)  8vo,  3  00 

Lassar-Cohn's  Practical  Urinary  Analysis.    (Lorenz.)  12 mo,  i  00 

Leach's  The  Inspection  and  Analysis  of  Food  with  Special  Reference  to  State 

Control.    (.In  preparation.) 

Lob'sElectrolysisandElectrosynthesisof  Organic  Compounds.  (Lorenz.)  i2mo,  i  00 

Mandel's  Handbook  for  Bio-chemical  Laboratory  12 mo,  i  50 

Mason's  Water-supply.    (Considered  Principally  from  a  Sanitary  Standpoint.) 

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Examination  of  Water.    (Chemical  and  Bacteriological.)  i2mo,  i  25 

Meyer's  Determination  of  Radicles  in  Carbon  Compounds.    (Tingle.). . i2mo,  i  00 

Miller's  Manual  of  Assaying  i2mo,  i  00 

Mixter's  Elementary  Text-book  of  Chemistry  1 2mo,  i  50 

Morgan's  Outline  of  Theory  of  Solution  and  its  Results  i2mo,  i  00 

Elements  of  Physical  Chemistry  i2mo.  2  00 

Nichols's  Water-supply.    (Considered  mainly  from  a  Chemical  and  Sanitary 

Standpoint,  1883.)  8vo,  2  50 

O'Brine's  Laboratory  Guide  in  Chemical  Analysis  8vo,  2  00 

O'DriscoU's  Notes  on  the  Treatment  of  Gold  Ores  8vo,  2  00 

Ost  and  Kolbeck's  Text-book  of  Chemical  Technology.    (Lorenz — Bozart.) 

(In  preparation.) 

♦  Penfield's  Notes  on  Determinative  Mineralogy  and  Record  of  Mineral  Tests. 

8vo,  paper,  50 

Pictet's  The  Alkaloids  and  their  Chemical  Constitution.     (Biddle.)  (In 
preparation.) 

Pinner's  Introduction  to  Organic  Chemistry.    (Austen.)  i2mo,  150 

Poole's  Calorific  Power  of  Fuels  8vo,  3  00 

•  Reisig's  Guide  to  Piece-dyeing  8vo,  25  00 

Richards  and  Woodman's  Air  .Water ,  and  Food  from  a  Sanitary  Standpoint .  8vo,  2  00 

Richards's  Cost  of  Living  as  Modified  by  Sanitary  Science  '. .  i2mo,  i  00 

Cost  of  Food  a  Study  in  Dietaries  i2mo,  i  00 

♦  Richards  and  Williams's  The  Dietary  Computer  8vo,  i  50 

Ricketts  and  Russell's  Skeleton  Notes  upon  Inorganic  Chemistry.    (Part  I. — 

Non-metallic  Elements.)  8vo,  morocco,  75 

Ricketts  an4  Miller's  Notes  on  Assaying  8vo,  3  00 

4 


d  eal's  Sewage  and  the  Bacterial  Purification  of  Sewage  8vo,  3  50 

Ruddiman's  Incompatibilities  in  Prescriptions  8vo,  2  00 

Schimpf's  Text-book  of  Volumetric  Analysis  izmo,  2  50 

Spencer's  Handbook  for  Chemists  of  Beet-sugar  Houses  i6mo,  morocco,  3  00 

Handbook  for  Sugar  Manufacturers  and  their  Chemists. .  i6mo,  morocco,  2  00 

Stockb ridge's  Rocks  and  Soils  8vo,  2  so 

*  Tillman's  Elementary  Lessons  in  Heat  8vo,  i  50 

♦  Descriptive  General  Chemistry  8vo  3  00 

Treadwell's  Qualitative  Analysis.    (Hall.)  8vo,  300 

Turneaure  and  Russell's  Public  Water-supplies  8vo,  s  00 

Van  Deventer's  Physical  Chemistry  for  Beginners.    (Boltwood.)  i2mo,  i  50 

*  Walke's  Lectures  on  Explosives  8vo,  4  00 

Wells's  Laboratory  Guide  in  Qualitative  Chemical  Analysis  8vo,  i  50 

Short  Course  in  Inorganic  Qualitative  Chemical  Analysis  for  Engineering 

Students  i2mo,  i  50 

Whipple's  Microscopy  of  Drinking-water  8vo,  3  50 

Wiechmann's  Sugar  Analysis  Small  8vo,  2  Su 

Wilson's  Cyanide  Processes  i2mo,  i  50 

Chlorination  Process  i2mo.  i  50 

Wulling's  Elementary  Course  in  Inorganic  Pharmaceutical  and  Medical  Chem- 
istry i2mo,  2  00 

CIVIL  ENGINEERING. 

BRIDGES  AND  ROOFS.     HYDRAULICS.     MATERIALS  OF  ENGINEERING. 
RAILWAY  ENGINEERING. 

Baker's  Engineers'  Surveying  Instruments  1 2mc ,  3  00 

Bixby's  Graphical  Computing  Table  Paper,  19^^X24!  inches  25 

♦*  Burr's  Ancient  and  Modern  Engineering  and  the  Isthmian  Canal.  (Postage 

27  cents  additional.)  8vo,  ni  3  50 

Comstock's  Field  Astronomy  for  Engineers  8vo,  2  50 

Davis's  Elevation  and  Stadia  Tables  8vo,  i  00 

Elliott's  Engineering  for  Land  Drainage  i2mo,  1  50 

Practical  Farm  Drainage  i2mo,  i  00 

Folwell's  Sewerage.    (Designing  and  Maintenance.)  8vo,  300 

Freitag's  Architectural  Engineering.    2d  Edition,  Rewritten  8vo,  3  50 

French  and  Ives's  Stereotomy  8vo,  2  50 

Goodhue's  Municipal  Improvements  i2mo,  i  75 

Goodrich's  Economic  Disposal  of  Towns'  Refuse  8vo,  3  5© 

Gore's  Elements  of  Geodesy  8vo,  2  50 

Hayford's  Text-book  of  Geodetic  Astronomy  8vo,  3  00 

Howe's  Retaining  Walls  for  Earth  1 2mo,  i  25 

Johnson's  Theory  and  Practice  of  Surveying  Small  8vo,  4  00 

Statics  by  Algebraic  and  Graphic  Methods  8vo,  2  00 

Kiersted's  Sewage  Disposal  1 2mo ,  i  25 

Laplace's  Philosophical  Essay  on  Probabilities.    (Truscott  and  Emory.)  i2mo,  2  00 

Mahan's  Treatise  on  Civil  Engineering.    (1873.)    (Wood.)  8vOo  500 

♦  Descriptive  Geometry  8vo,  i  50 

Merriman's  Elements  of  Precise  Surveying  and  Geodesy  8vo,  2  so 

Elements  of  Sanitary  Engineering  8vo,  2  00 

Merriman  and  Brooks's  Handbook  for  Surveyors  i6mo,  morocco,  2  00 

Nugent's  Plane  Surveying  8vo,  3  so 

Ogden's  Sewer  Design  i2mo,  2  00 

Patton's  Treatise  on  Civil  Engineering  8vo,  half  leather,  7  so 

Reed's  Topographical  Drawing  and  Sketching  4to,  s  00 

Ridears]Sewage  and  the  Bacterial  Purification  of  Sewage  8vo,  3  50 

Siebert  and  Biggin's  Modern  Stone-cutting  and  Masonry  8vo,  i  so 

Smith's  Manual  of  Topographical  Drawing.    (McMillan.)  8vo,  2  50 

5 


Sondericker's  Graphic  Statics,  wun  i-pplications  to  Trusses,  Beams,  and 
Arches.  (Shortly.) 

*  Trantwine's  Civil  Engineer's  Pocket-book  i6nio,  morocco,  5  00 

Wait's  Engineering  and  Architectural  Jurisprudence  8vo,  6  00 

Sheep,  6  50 

Law  of  Operations  Preliminary  to  Construction  in  Engineering  and  Archi- 
tecture. 8vo,  5  00 

Sheep,  5  50 

Law  of  Contracts  8vo,  300 

Warren's  Stereotomy — Problems  in  Stone-cutting  8vo,  2  50 

Webb's  Problems  in  ihe  U=e  and  Adjustment  of  Engineering  Instruments. 

i6mo,  morocco,  i  25 

*  Wheeler's  Elementary  Course  of  Civil  Engineering  8vo,  4  00 

Wilson's  Topographic  Surveying  8vo ,  31 50 


BRIDGES  AND  ROOFS. 
Boiler's  Practical  Treatise  on  the  Construction  of  Iron  Highway  Bridges.  .8vo,   2  00 


*       Thames  River  Bridge  4to,  paper,  5  00 

Burr's  Course  on  the  Stresses  in  Bridges  and  Roof  Trusses,  Arched  Ribs,  and 

Suspension  Bridges  8vo,  3  50 

Du  Bois's  Mechanics  of  Engineering.    Vol.  II  Small  4to,  10  00 

Foster's  Treatise  on  Wooden  Trestle  Bridges  4to,  5  00 

Fowler's  Coffer-dam  Process  for  Piers  8vo,  2  50 

Greene's  Roof  Trusses  8vo,  i  25 

Bridge  Trusses  8vo,  2  50 

Arches  in  Wood,  Iron,  and  Stone  8vo,  2  50 

Howe's  Treatise  on  Arches  8vo  4  00 

Design  of  Simple  Roof-trusses  in  Wood  and  Steel  8vo,  2  00 

Johnson,  Bryan,  and  Turneaure's  Theory  and  Practice  in  the  Designing  of 

Modern  Framed  Structures  Small  4to,  10  00 

Merriman  and  Jacoby's  Text-book  on  Roofs  and  Bridges: 

Part  I. — Stresses  in  Simple  Trusses  8vo,  2  50 

Part  II. — Graphic  Statics  8vo,  2  50 

Part  III. — Bridge  Design.    4th  Edition,  Rewritten  8vo,  2  50 

Part  IV.— Higher  Structures  8vo,  2  50 

Mo rison's  Memphis  Bridge  4to,  1000 

Waddell's  De  Pontibus,  a  Pocket-book  for  Bridge  Engineers. .  .  i6mo,  morocco,  3  00 

Specifications  for  Steel  Bridges  12 mo,  i  25 

Wood's  Treatise  on  the  Theory  of  the  Construction  of  Bridges  and  Roofs. 8vo,  2  00 
Wright's  Designing  of  Draw-spans: 

Part  I.  — Plate-girder  Draws  8vo,  2  50 

Part  II. — Riveted-truss  and  Pin-connected  Long-span  Draws  8vo,  2  50 

Two  parts  in  one  volume  8vo,  3  50 


HYDRAULICS. 

Bazin's  Experiments  upon  the  Contraction  of  the  Liquid  Vein  Issuing  from  an 


Orifice.    (Trautwine.)  8vo,  2  00 

Bovey's  Treatise  on  Hydraulics  8vo,  5  00 

Church's  Mechanics  of  Engineering  8vo,  6  00 

Diagrams  of  Mean  Velocity  of  Water  in  Open  Channels  paper,  i  50 

Coffin's  Graphical  Solution  of  Hydraulic  Problems.  .  i6mo,  morocco,  2  50 

Flather's  Dynamometers,  and  the  Measurement  of  Power  i2mo,  3  00 

Folwell's  Water-supply  Engineering  8vo,  4  00 

Frizell's  Water-power  8vo,  s  00 

6 


Fuertes's  Water  and  Public  Health  12 mo,  i  50 

Water-filtration  Works  i2mo,  2  50 

Ganguillet  and  Kutter's  General  Formula  for  the  Uniform  Flow  of  Water  in 

Rivers  and  Other  Channels.    (Hering  and  Trautwine.)  8vo,  4  00 

Hazen's  Filtration  of  Public  Water-supply  8vo,  3  00 

Hazlehurst's  Towers  and  Tanks  for  Water- works  8vo,  2  50 

Herschel's  115  Experiments  on  the  Carrying  Capacity  of  Large,  Riveted,  Metal 

Conduits  8vo,  2  00 

Mason's  Water-supply.    (Considered  Principally  from  a  Sanitary  Stand- 
point.)   3d  Edition,  Rewritten  8vo,  4  00 

Merriman's  Treatise  on  Hydraulics,    gth  Edition,  Rewritten  8vo,  500 

*  Michie's  Elements  of  Analytical  Mechanics  8vo,  4  00 

Schuyler's  Reservoirs  for  Irrigation,  Water-power,  and  Domestic  Water- 
supply  Large  8vo,  5  00 

**  Thomas  and  Watt's  Improvement  of  Riyers.    (Post.,  44  c.  additional),  4to,  6  00 

Turneaure  and  Russell's  Public  Water-supplies  8vo.  5  00 

Wegmann's  Design  and  Construction  of  Dams  4to,  5  00 

Water-supolv  of  the  City  of  New  York  from  1658  to  1895  4to,  10  00 

Weisbach's  Hydraulics  and  Hydraulic  Motors.    (Du  Bois.)  8vo,  5  00 

Wilson's  Manual  of  Irrigation  Engineering  Small  8vo,  4  00 

Wolff's  Windmill  as  a  Prime  Mover  8vo,l  3  00 

Wood's  Turbines  8vo,  2  50 

Elements  of  Analytical  Mechanics  8vo,  3  00 


MATERIALS  OF  ENGINEERING. 

Baker's  Treatise  on  Masonry  Construction  8vo,  5  00 

Roads  and  Pavements  8vo,  500 

Black's  United  States  Public  Works  Oblong  4to,  5  00 

Bovey's  Strength  of  Materials  and  Theory  of  Structures  8vo,  7  5o 

Burr's  Elasticity  and  Resistance  of  the  Materials  of  Engineering.    6th  Edi- 
tion, Rewritten  8vo,  7  50 

Byrne's  Highway  Construction  8vo,  5  00 

Inspection  of  the  Materials  and  Workmanship  Employed  in  Construction. 

i6mo,  3  00 

Church's  Mechanics  of  Engineering  8vo,  6  00 

Du  Bois's  Mechanics  of  Engineering.    VoL  I  Small  4to,  7  So 

Johnson's  Materials  of  Construction  Large  8vo,  6  00 

Keep's  Cast  Iron  8vo,  2  50 

Lanza's  Applied  Mechanics  8vo,  7  50 

Martens's  Handbook  on  Testing  Materials.    (Henning.)    2  vols  8vo,  7  50 

Merrill's  Stones  for  Building  and  Decoration  8vo,  5  00 

Merriman's  Text-book  on  the  Mechanics  of  Materials  8vo,  4  00 

Strength  of  Materials  i2mo,  i  00 

Metcalf's  Steel.    A  Manual  for  Steel-users  i2mo,  200 

Patton's  Practical  Treatise  on  Foundations  8vo,  5  00 

Rockwell's  Roads  and  Pavements  in  France  i2mo,  i  25 

Smith's  Wire:  Its  Use  and  Manufacture  Small  4to,  3  oa 

Materials  of  Machines  i2mo,  i  oa 

Snow's  Principal  Species  of  Wood  8vo,  3  50 

Spalding's  Hydraulic  Cement  i2mo,  2  00 

Text-book  on  Roads  and  Pavements  i2mo,  2  oa 

Thurston's  Materials  of  Engineering.    3  Parts  8vo,  8  oa 

Parti. — Non-metallic  Materials  of  Engineering  and  Metallurgy  8vo,  2  oa 

Part  II. — Iron  and  Steel  8vo,  3  50 

Part  III. — A  Treatise  on  Brasses,  Bronzes,  and  Other  Alloys  and  their 

Constituents  8vo,  2^50 

71 


Thurston's  Text-book  of  the  Materials  of  Construction   .8vo,  5  00 

Tillson's  Street  Pavements  and  Paving  Materials  8vo,  4  00 

Waddell's  De  Pontibus.    (A  Pocket-book  for  Bridge  Engineers.) .  .  i6mo,.mor.,  3  00 

Specifications  for  Steel  Bridges  izmo,  i  25 

Wood's  Treatise  on  the  Resistance  of  Materials,  and  an  Appendix  on  the  Pres- 
ervation of  Timber  8vo,  2  00 

Elements  of  Analytical  Mechanics  Svo,  3  00 


RAILWAY  ENGINEERING. 

Andrews's  Handbook  for  Street  Railway  Engineers.    3X5  inches,  morocco,  i  25 


Berg's  Buildings  and  Structures  of  American  Raihoads  4to,  5  00 

Brooks's  Handbook  of  Street  Railroad  Location  i6mo.  morocco,  i  50 

Butts's  Civil  Engineer's  Field-book  i6mo,  morocco,  2  50 

Crandall's  Transition  Curve  i6mo,  morocco,  i  50 

Railway  and  Other  Earthwork  Tables  Svo,  i  50 

Dawson's  "Engineering"  and  Electric  Traction  Pocket-book.  i6mo,  morocco,  4  00 

Dredge's  History  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad:  (1879)  Paper,  5  00 

•  Drinker's  Tunneling,  Explosive  Compounds,  and  Rock  Drills,  4to,  half  mor.,  25  00 

Fisher's  Table  of  Cubic  Yards  Cardboard,  25 

Godwin's  Railroad  Engineers'  Field-book  and  Explorers'  Guide  i6mo,  mor.,  2  50 

Howard's  Transition  Curve  Field-book  i6mo  morocco  i  50 

Hudson's  Tables  for  Calculating  the  Cubic  Contents  of  Excavations  and  Em- 
bankments                                                                       Svo,  I  00 

Molitor  and  Beard's  Manual  for  Resident  Engineers  i6mo,  i  00 

Nagle's  Field  Manual  for  Railroad  Engineers  i6mo,  morocco.  00 

Philbrick's  Field  Manual  for  Engineers  i6mo,  morocco,  3  00 

Pratt  and  Alden's  Street-railway  Road-bed  Svo,  2  00 

Searles's  Field  Engineering  i6mo,  morocco,  3  00 

Railroad  Spiral  i6mo,  morocco  i  50 

Taylor's  Prismoidal  Formulae  and  Earthwork  Svo,  1  50 

•  Trautwine's  Method  of  Calculating  the  Cubic  Contents  of  Excavations  and 

Embankments  by  the  Aid  of  Diagrams  Svo,  2  00 

he  Field  Practice  of  [Laying  Out  Circular  Curves  for  Railroads. 

i2mo,  morocco,  2  50 

•  Cross-section  Sheet  Paper,  25 

Webb's  Railroad  Construction.    2d  Edition,  Rewritten  i6mo- morocco,  5  00 

Wellington's  Economic  Theory  of  the  Location  of  Railways  Small  Svo,  5  00 


DRAWING. 


Barr's  Kinematics  of  Machinery  Svo,  2  so 

*  Bartlett's  Mechanical  Drawing  Svo,  3  00 

Coolidge's  Manual  of  Drawing  Svo,  paper,  i  00 

Dur ley's  Kinematics  of  Machines  Svo,  4  00 

Hill's  Text-book  on  Shades  and  Shadows,  and  Perspective  Svo,  2  00 

Jones's  Machine  Design: 

Part  1. — Kinematics  of  Machinery  Svo,  i  50 

Part  n. — Form,  Strength,  and  Proportions  of  Parts  Svo,  3  00 

MacCord's  Elements  of  Descriptive  Geometry  Svo,  3  00 

Kinematics;  or,  Practica?  Mechanism  Svo,  5  00 

Mechanical  Drawing  4to,  4  00 

Velocity  Diagrams   Svo  ,150 

♦  Mahan's  Descriptive  Geometry  and  Stone-cutting  Svo,  i  50 

Industrial  Drawing.   (Thompson.)  Svo,  3  50 

Reed's  Topographical  Drawing  and  Sketching  4to ,  500 

8 


Reid's  Course  in  Mechanical  Drawing  8vo,  2  00 

Text-book  of  Mechanical  Drawing  and  Elementary  Machine  Design . .  8vo,  3  00 

Robinson's  Principles  of  Mechanism  8vo,  3  00 

Smith's  Manual  of  Topographical  Drawing.    (McMillan.)  8vo,  250 

Warren's  Elements  of  Plane  and  Solid  Free-hand  Geometrical  Drawing . .  i2mo,  i  00 

Drafting  Instruments  and  Operations  i2mo,  i  25 

Manual  of  Elementary  Projection  Drawing  i2mo,  1  50 

Manual  of  Elementary  Eroblems  in  the  Linear  Perspective  of  Form  and 

Shadow  i2mo,  i  00 

Plane  Problems  in  Elementary  Geometry  x2mo,  i  25 

Primary  Geometry  i2mo,  75 

Elements  of  Descriptive  Geometry,  Shadows,  andlPerspective .   8vo,  3  So 

General  Problems  of  Shades  and  Shadows  8vo,  3  00 

Elements  of  Machine  Construction  and  Drawing  8vo,  7  50 

Problems.  Theorems,  and  Examples  in  Descriptive  Geometrv  8vo,  2  50 

Weisbach's  Kinematics  and  the  Power  of  Transmission.     (Hermann  a.o'^ 

Klein.)   8vo,  5  00 

Whelpley's  Practical  Instruction  in  the  Art  of  Letter  Engraving  i2mo,  2  00 

Wilson's  Topographic  Surveying  8vo,  3  50 

Free-hand  Perspective  ,  8vo,  2  50 

Free-hand  Lettering.    {In  preparation.) 

Wooif's  Elementary  Course  in  Descriptive  Geometry  Large  8vo,  3  00 


'ELECTRICITY  AND  PHYSICS. 

Anthony  and  Brackett's  Text-book  of  Physics.    (Magie.)  ...  .Small  8vo,  3  00 

Anthony's  Lecture-notes  on  the  Theory  of  Electrical  Measurements  i2mo,  i  00 

Benjamin'slHistory  of  Electricity  8vo,  3  00 

Voltaic  Cell  8vo,  3  00 

Classen's  Quantitative  Chemical  Analysis  by  Electrolysis.  (Boltwood.).  .8vo,  3  00 

Crehore  and  Sauier's  Polarizing  Photo-chronograph  8vo ,  3  00 

Dawson's  "Eneineering"  and  Electric  Traction  Pocket-book. .  lomo,  morocco,  4  00 

Flather's  Dvnamometers,  and  the  Measurement  of  Power  i2mo,  3  00 

Gilbert's  De  Magnete.    (Mottelay.)   8vo,  2  50 

Ho Iman's  Precision  of  Measurements  8vo,  2  00 

Telescopic  Mirror-scale  Method,  Adjustments,  and  Tests  Large  8vo  75 

Landauer's  Spectrum  Analysis.  (Tingle.)  8vo,  3  00 

Le  Chatelier's  High-temperature  Measurements.  (Boudouard — ±5urgess.)i2mo,  3  00 

Lob's  Electrolysis  and  Electrosynthesis  of  Organic  Compounds.  (Lorenz.)  i2mo,  i  00 

*  Lyons's  Treatise  on  Electromagnetic  Phenomena.    Vols.  I.  and  11.  «vo,  each,^  6^,00 

*  Michie.    Elements  of  Wave  Motion  Relating  to^SoundJand  Light  8vo,  4  00 

Niaudet's  Elementary  Treatise  on  Electric  Batteries.    (FishoacK. )  1 2mo,  2  50 

*  Parshall  and  Hobart's  Electric  Generators  Small  4to.  half  morocco,  10  00 

*  Rosenberg's  Electrical  Engineering.  (Haldane  Gee — Kinzbrunner.). . .  .8vo,  1  50 
Ryan,  Norris,  and  Hoxie's  Electrical  Machinery.    (In  preparatio?-.- 

Thurston's  Stationary  Steam-engines  8vo,  2  50 

*  Tillman's  Elementary  Lessons  in  Heat  8vo,  i  50 

Tory  and  Pitcher's  Manual  of  Laboratory  Physics  Small  8vo,  2  00 

Hike's  Modern  Electrolytic  Copper  Refining  8vo,  3  00 


LAW. 

♦iDavis's  Elements  of  Law  8vo,  2  50 

♦  Treatise  on  the  Military  Law  of  United  States  8vo,  700 

*  Sheep,  7  so 
Manual  for  Courts-martial  i6mo,  morocco,  i  50 


Wait's  Engineering  and  Architectural  Jurisprudence  8vo,  6  oo 

Sheep,  6  50 

Law  of  Operations  Preliminary  to  Construction  in  Engineering'and  Archi- 
tecture  8vo,  5  00 

Sheep,  5  SO 

Law  of  Contracts  8vo,  3  00 

Winthrop's  Abridgment  of  Military  Law  1 2mo,  2  50 

MANUFACTURES. 

Bernadou's  Smokeless  Powder— Nitro-cellulose  and  Theory  of  the  Cellulose 

Molecule  i2mo,  2  50 

BoUand's  Iron  Founder  i2mo,  2  50 

"  The  .Iron  Founder,"  Supplement  i2mo,  2  50 

Encyclopedia  of  Founding  and  Dictionary  of^Foundry  Terms  Usedjn  the 

Practice  of  Moulding  i2mo,  3  00 

Eissler's  Modern  High  Explosives  Svo,  4  00 

Effront's  Enzymes  and  their  Applications.    ( Prescott. )  Svo ,  3  00 

Fitzgerald's  Boston  Machinist  i8mo,  i  00 

Ford's  Boiler  Making  for  Boiler  Makers  i8mo,  i  00 

Hopkins's  Oil-chemists*  Handbook  Svo,  3  00 

Keep's  Cast  Iron  Svo,  2  50 

Leach's  The  Inspection  and  Analysis  of  Food  with  Special_Reference  to  State 

Control.    {In  preparation.) 

Metcalf's  Steel.    A  Manual  for  Steel-users  i2mo,  200 

Metcalfe's  Cost  of  Manufactures— And  the  Administration  of  Workshops, 

Public  and  Private  Svo,  5  00 

Meyer's  Modern  Locomotive  Construction  4to,  10  00 

*  Reisig's  Guide  to  Piece-dyeing  Svo,  25  00 

Smith's  Press-working  of  Metals  Svo,  3  00 

Wire:  Its  Use  and  Manufacture  Small  4to,  3  00 

Spalding's  Hydraulic  Cement  i2mo,  2  00 

Spencer's  Handbook  for  Chemists  of  Beet-sugar  Houses  i6mo,  morocco,  3  00 

Handboo'i  tor  sugar  Manufacturers  and  their  Chemists..  .  i6mo,  morocco,  2  00 
Thurston's  Manual  of  Steam-boilers,  their  Designs,  Construction  and  Opera- 
tion Svo,  5  00 

*  Walke's  Lectures  on  Explosives  Svo,  4  00 

West's  American  Foundry  Practice  ,  i2mo,  2  50 

Moulder's  Text-book  •  i2mo,  2  50 

Wiechmann's  Sugar  Analysis  Small  Svo,  2  50 

Wolff's  Windmill  as  a  Prime  Mover  Svo,  3  00 

Woodbury's  Fire  Protection  of  Mills  Svo,  2  50 

MATHEMATICS. 

Baker's  Elliptic  Functions  Svo,  i  50 

*  Bass's  Elements  of  Differential  Calculus  i2mo,  4  00 

Briggs's  Elements  of  Plane  Analytic  Geometry  i2mo,  i  00 

Chapman's  Elementary  Course  in  Theory  of  Equations  1 2mo,  i  50 

Compton's  Manual  of  Logarithmic  Computations  i2mo,  i  50 

Davis's  Introduction  to  the  Logic  of  Algebra  Svo,  i  50 

*  Dickson's  College  Algebra  Large  i2mo,  i  50 

*  Introduction  to  the  Theory  of  Algebraic  Equations   Large^i2mo,  i  25 

Halsted's  Elements  of  Geometry  Svo,  i  75 

Elementary  Synthetic  Geometry  8vo  1  50 

■-10 


♦Johnson's  Three-place  Logarithmic  Tables:   Vest-pocket  size  paper,  15 

100  copies  for  5  00 

*  Mounted  on  heavy  cardboard,  8  X  lo  inches,  25 

10  copies  for  2  00 

Elementary  Treatise  on  the  Integral  Calculus.  Small  8vo,  i  50 

Curve  Tracing  in  Cartesian  Co-ordinates  i2mo,  i  00 

Treatise  on  Ordinary  and  Partial  Differential  Equations  Small  Svo,  3  50 

Theory  of  Errors  and  the  Method  of  Least  Squares  i2mo,  i  50 

*  Theoretical  Mechanics  i2mo,  300 

Laplace's  Philosophical  Essay  on  Probabilities.    (Truscott  and  Emory.)  i2mo,  2  00 

*  Ludlow  and  Bass.    Elements  of  Trigonometry  and  Logarithmic  and  Other 

Tables  Svo,  3  00 

Trigonometry  and  Tables  published  separately                            Each,  2  00 

Maurer's  Technical  Mechanics.    {In  preparation.) 

Merriman  and  Woodward's  Higher  Mathematics  Svo,  5  00 

Merriman's  Method  of  Least  Squares  Svo,  2  00 

Rice  and  Johnson's  Elementary  Treatise  on  the  Differential  Calculus .  Sm.,  Svo,  3  00 

Differential  and  Integral  Calculus.    2  vols,  in  one  Gmall  Svo,  2  50 

Wood's  Elements  of  Co-ordinate  Geometry  Svo,  2  00 

Trigonometry:  Analytical,  Plane,  and  Spherical  12 mo,  i  00 


MECHANICAL  ENGINEERING. 

MATERIALS  OF  ENGINEERING,  STEAM-ENGINES  AND  BOILERS. 


Baldwin's  Steam  Heating  for  Buildings  i2mo,  2  50 

Barr's  Kinematics  of  Machinery  Svo,  2  50 

♦  Bartlett's  Mechanical  Drawing  Svo,  3  00 

Benjamin's  Wrinkles  and  Recipes  i2mo,  2  00 

Carpenter's  Experimental  Engineering  Svo,  6  00 

Heating  and  Ventilating  Buildings  Svo,  4  00 

Clerk's  Gas  and  Oil  Engine  Small  Svo,  4  00 

Coolidge's  Manual  of  Drawing  Svo,  paper,  i  00 

Cromwell's  Treatise  on  Toothed  Gearing  i2mo,  i  50 

Treatise  on  Belts  and  Pulleys  i2mo,  i  50 

Durley's  Kinematics  of  Machines  Svo,  4  00 

Flather's  Dynamometers  and  the  Measurement  of  Power  i2mo,  3  00 

Rope  Driving  12 mo,  2  00 

Gill's  Gas  and  Fuel  Analysis  for  Engineers  i2mo,  i  25 

Hall's  Car  Lubrication    i2mo,  i  00 

Hutton's  The  Gas  Engine.    {In  preparation.) 
Jones's  Machine  Design: 

Part  I. — Kinematics  of  Machinery  Svo,  i  50 

Part  II. — Form,  Strength,  and  Proportions  of  Parts  Svo,  3  00 

Kent's  Mechanical  Engineer's  Pocket-book  i6mo,  morocco,  5  00 

Kerr's  Power  and  Power  Transmission  Svo,  2  00 

Mac  Cord's  Kinematics;  or,  Practical  Mechanism  Svo,  5  00 

Mechanical  Drawing  4to,  400 

Velocity  Diagrams  Svo,  i  50 

Mahan's  Industrial  Drawing.   (Thompson.)  Svo,  3  50 

Poole's  Calorific  Power  of  Fuels  Svo,  3  00 

Reid's  Course  in  Mechanical  Drawing  Svo.  2  00 

Text-book  of  Mechanical  Drawing  and  Elementary  Machine  Design .  .  Svo,  3  00 

Richards's  Compressed  Air  i2mo,  i  50 

Robinson's  Principles  of  Mechanism  Svo,  3  00 

Smith's  Press-working  of  Metals   Svo  300 

Thurston's  Treatise  on  Friction  and  Lost  Work  in  Machinery  and  Mil 

Work  Svo,  3  00 


Animal  as  a  Machine  and  Prime  Motor,  and  the  Laws  of  Energetics .  1 2mo,  i  00 

11 


Warren's  Elements  of  Machine  Construction  and  Drawing  9vo,  7  50 

Weisbach's  Kinematics  and  the  Power  of  Transmission.  Herrmann- 
Klein.)     8vo,  5  00 

Machinery  of  Transmission  and  Governors.    (Herrmann — Klein.).  .8vo,  5  00 

Hydraulics  and  Hydraulic  Motors.    (Du  Bois.)  ,  8vo,  5  00 

Wolff's  Windmill  as  a  Prime  Mover  8vo,  3  00 

Wood's  Turbines  8vo,  2  50 


MATERIALS  OF  ENGINEERING. 

Bovey's  Strength  of  Materials  and  Theory  of  Structures  8vo,  7  50 

Burr's  Elasticity  and  Resistance  of  the  Materials  of  Engineering.    6th  Edition, 

Reset..  8vo,  7  50 

Church's  Mechanics  of  Engineering  8vo,  6  00 

Johnson's  Materials  of  Construction  Large  8vo,  6  00 

Keep's  Cast  Iron   8vo  250 

Lanza's  Applied  Mechanics  8vo,  7  50 

Martens's  Handbook  on  Testing  Materials.    (Henning.)  8vo,  7  50 

Merriman's  Text-book  on  the  Mechanics  of  Materials  8vo,  4  00 

Strength  of  Materials  12 mo,  i  00 

Metcalf's  Steel.    A  Manual  for  Steel-users  i2mo  2  00 

Smith's  Wire:  Its  Use  and  Manufacture  Small  4to,  3  00 

Materials  of  Machines  i2mo,  i  00 

Thurston's  Materials  of  Engineering  3  vols.,  Svo,  8  00 

Part  II. — Iron  and  Steel  8vo,  3  50 

Part  III. — A  Treatise  on  Brasses,  Bronzes,  and  Other  Alloys  and  their 

Constituents  8vo,  2  50 

Text-book  of  the  Materials  of  Construction  8vo  s  00 

Wood's  Treatise  on  the  Resistance  of  Materials  and  an  Appendix  on  the 

Preservation  of  Timber  Svo,  2  00 

Elements  of  Analytical  Mechanics  Svo,  3  00 


STEAM-ENGINES  AND  BOILERS. 


Carnot's  Reflections  on  the  Motive  Power  of  Heat.    (Thurston.)  12 mo,  i  50 

Dawson's  "Engineering"  and  Electric  Traction  Pocket-book. . i6mo,  mor.,  4  00 

Ford's  Boiler  Making  for  Boiler  Makers  iSmo,  i  00 

Goss's  Locomotive  Sparks  Svo,  2  00 

Hemenway's  Indicator  Practice  and  Steam-engine  Economy  i2mo,  2  00 

Button's  Mechanical  Engineering  of  Power  Plants  Svo,  5  00 

Heat  and  Heat-engines  Svo,  s  00 

Kent's  Steam-boiler  Economy  Svo,  4  00 

Kneass's  Practice  and  Theory  of  the  Injector  Svo.  i  50 

MacCord's  Slide-valves  Svo,  2  00 

Meyer's  Modem  Locomotive  Construction  4to,  10  00 

Peabody's  Manual  of  the  Steam-engine  Indicator  ,  12 mo,  i  50 

Tables  of  the  Properties  of  Saturated  Steam  and  Other  Vapors  Svo,  i  00 

Thermodynamics  of  the  Steam-engine  and  Other  Heat-engines  Svo,  5  00 

Valve-gears  for  Steam-engines  Svo,  2  50 

Peabody  and  Miller's  Steam-boilers  Svo,  4  00 

Pray '8  Twenty  Years  with  the  Indicator  Large  Svo,  2  50 

Pupln's  Thermodynamics  of  Reversible  Cycles  in  Gases  and  Saturated  Vapors. 

(Osterberg.)  i2mo,  i  25 

Reagan's  Locomotives :  Simple,  Compound,  and  Electric  i2mo,  2  50 

Rontgen's  Principles  of  Thermodynamics.    (Du  Bois.)  Svo,  5  00 

Sinclair's  Locomotive  Engine  Running  and  Management  i2mo,  2  00 

Smart's  Handbook  of  Engineering  Laboratory  Practice  i2mo,  2  50 

Snow's  Steam-boiler  Practice  Svo,  3  00 

12 


Spangler's  Valve-gears  8vo,  250 

Notes  on  Thermodynamics                                                      i2mo,  i  00 

Spangler,  Greene,  and  Marshall's  Elements  of  Steam-engineering  8vo,  3  00 

Thurston's  Handy  Tables  8vo,  i  50 

Manual  of  the  Steam-engine  2  vols..  Svo  10  00 

Part  I.— History,  Structuce,  and  Theory  Svo,  6  00 

Part  II. — Design,  Construction,  and  Operation  Svo,  6  00 

Handbook  of  Engine  and  Boiler  Trials,  and  the  Use  of  the  Indicator  and 

the  Prony  Brake  Svo  5  00 

Stationary  Steam-engines  Svo,  2  50 

Steam-boiler  Explosions  in  Theory  and  in  Practice  i2mo,  i  50 

Manual  of  Steam-boiler? ,  Their  Designs,  Construction,  and  Operation .  Svo,  5  00 

Weisbach's  Heat,  Steam,  a  ij  Steam-engines.    (Du  Bois.)  Svo,  5  00 

Whitham's  Steam-engine  I  esign  Svo,  5  00 

Wilson's  Treatise  on  steam-boilers.    (Flather.)  i6mo,  250 

Wood's  Thermodynamics.  Heat  Motors,  and  Refrigerating  Machines. . .  .Svo,  4  00 


MECHANICS    AND  \IACHINERY. 


Barr's  Kinematics  ot  Machinery  Svo,  2~SO 

Bovey's  Strength  of  Materials  and  Theory  of  Structures  Svo,  7  50 

Chase's  The  Art  of  Pattern-making  i2mo,  2  50 

Chordal. — Extracts  from  Letters  12 mo,  2  00 

Church's  Mechanics  of  Engineering  Svo    6  00 

Notes  and  Examples  in  Mechanics  Svo.  2  00 

Compton's  First  Lessons  in  Metal- working  i2mo,   i  50 

Compton  and  De  Groodt's  The  Speed  Lathe  12 mo,   i  50 

Cromwell's  Treatise  on  Toothed  Gearing  i2mo,  i  50 

Treatise  on  Belts  and  Pulleys  i2mo,  i  50 

Dana's  Text-book  of  Elementary  Mechanics  for  the  Use  of  Colleges  and 

Schools  i2mo,   I  50 

Dingey's  Machinery  Pattern  Making  12 mo,  2  00 

Dredge's  Record  of  the  Transportation  Exhibits  Building  of  the  World's 

Columbian  Exposition  of  i8q3  4to,  half  morocco,  5  00 

Du  Bois's  Elementary  Principles  of  Mechanics : 

Vol.    I. — Kinematics  Svo,  350 

Vol.  II. — Statics  Svo,  4  00 

Vol.  III. — Kinetics  Svo,  350 

Mechanics  of  Engineering,    Vol.  I  Small  4to,     7  50 

Vol.  II  Small  4to,  10  00 

Durley's  Kinematics  of  Machines  Svo,  4  00 

Fitzgerald's  Boston  Machinist  i6mo,  i  00 

Flather's  Dynamometers,  and  the  Measurement  of  Power  i2mo,  3  00 

Rope  Driving  12 mo,  2  00 

Goss's  Locomotive  Sparks  Svo,  2  00 

Hall's  Car  Lubrication  i2mo,  i  00 

Holly's  Art  of  Saw  Filing  iSmo  75 

*  Johnson's  Theoretical  Mechanics  i2mo,  3  00 

Statics  by  Graphic  and  Algebraic  Methods  Svo,  2  00 

Jones's  Machine  Design: 

Part  I. — Kinematics  of  Machinery  Svo,   i  50 

Part  II. — Form,  Strength,  and  Proportions  of  Parts  Svo,  3  00 

Kerr's  Power  and  Power  Transmission  Svo,  2  00 

Lanza's  Applied  Mechanics  Svo,  7  50 

MacCord's  Kinematics;  or.  Practical  Mechanism  Svo,  5  00 

Velocity  Diagrams  Svo,  i  50 

Maurer's  Technical  Mechanics,    (/n  preparation.) 

13 


Merriman's  Text-book  on  the  Mechanics  of  Materials  8vo,  4  00 

*  Michie's  Elements  of  Analytical  Mechanics  8vo,  4  00 

Reagan's  Locomotives:  Simple,  Compound,  and  Electric  i2mo,  2  50 

Reid's  Course  in  Mechanical  Drawing  8vo,  2  00 

Text-book  of  Mechanical  Drawing  and  Elementary  Machine  Design.  .Svo,  3  00 

Richards's  Compressed  Air  12 mo,  1  50 

Robinson's  Principles  of  Mechanism  Svo,  3  00 

Ryan,  Norris,  and  Hoxie's  Electrical  Machinery.    {In  preparation.) 

Sinclair's  Locomotive-engine  Running  andiManagement  i2mo,  2  00 

Smith's  Press- working  of  Metals  Svo,  3  00 

Materials  of  Machines  i2mo,  i  00 

Spangler,  Greene,  and  Marshall's  Elements  of  Steam-engineering  .Svo,  3  00 

Thurston's  Treatise  on  Friction  and  Lost  Work  in  Machinery  and  Mill 

Work  Svo,  3  00 

Animal  as  a  Machine  and  Prime  Motor,  and  the  Laws  of  Energetics.  i2mo,  i  00 

Warren's  Elements  of  Machine  Construction  and  Drawing  Svo,  7  50 

Weisbach's   Kinematics  and   the  Power  of   Transmission,    (Herrmann — 

Klein.)  Svo,  5  00 

Machinery  of  Transmission  and  Governors.    (Herrmann — Klein.). Svo,  5  00 

Wood's  Elements  of  Analytical  Mechanics  Svo,  3  00 

Principles  of  Elementary  Mechanics  i2mo,  i  25 

Turbines  Svo,  2  50 

The  World's  Columbian  Exposition  of  1893  4to,  i  00 


METALLURGY. 


Egleston's  Metallurgy  of  Silver,  Gold,  and  Mercury: 

Vol.  I. — Silver  Svo,  7  50 

Vol.  n. — Gold  and  Mercury  Svo,  7  50 

**  Iles's  Lead-smelting.    (Postage  9  cents  additional.)  i2mo,  2  50 

Keep's  Cast  Iron  Svo,  2  50 

Kunhardt's  Practice  of  Ore  Dressing  in  Europe                                   .Svo,  i  50 

Le  Chatelier's  High-temperature  Measurements.  (Boudouard — Burgess.) .  i2mo,  3  00 

Metcalf 's  Steel.    A  Manual  for  Steel-users  i2mo,  2  00 

Smith's  Materials  of  Machines  i2mo,  i  00 

Thurston's  Materials  of  Engineering.    In  Three  Parts                          .Svo,  8  00 

Part  II. — Iron  and  Steel  Svo,  3  50 

Part  III. — A  Treatise  on  Brasses,  Bronzes,  and  Other  Alloys  and  their 

Constituents  Svo,  2  50 

Ulke's'Modern  Electrolytic  Copper  Refining                                          .Svo,  3  00 


MINERALOGY. 

Barringer's  Description  of  Minerals  of  Commercial  Value.    Oblong,  morocco,  2  50 

Boyd's  Resources  of  Southwest  Virginia  Svo,  3  00 

Map  of  Southwest  Virginia  Pocket-book  form,  2  00 

Brush's  Manual  of  Determinative  Mineralogy.    (Penfield.)  Svo,  4  00 

Chester's  Catalogue  of  Minerals  Svo,  paper,  i  00 

Cloth,  I  25 

Dictionary  of  the  Names  of  Minerals  Svo,  3  50 

Dana's  System  of  Mineralogy  Large  Svo,  half  leather,  12  50 

First  Appendix  to  Dana's  New  "System  of  Mineralogy.".  .  .  .Large  Svo,  i  00 

Text-book  of  Mineralogy  Svo,  4  00 

Minerals  and  How  to  Study  Them  i2mo,  i  50 

Catalogue  of  American  Localities  of  Minerals  Large  Svo,  i  00 

Manual  of  Mineralogy  and  Petrography  i2mo,  2  00 

Egleston's  Catalogue  of  Minerals  and  Synonyms  Svo,  2  50 

Hussak's  The  Determination  of  Rock-forming  Minerals.    (Smith.)  Small  Svo,  2  00 

14 


*  Penfield's  Notes  on  Determinative  Mineralogy  and  Record  of  Mineral  Tests. 

8vo,  paper,  o  50 

Rosenbusch's  Microscopical  Physiography  of  the  Rock-making  Minerals. 


(Iddings.)  8vo,  5  00 

*  Tillman's  Text-book  of  Important  Minerals  and  Docks  8vo,  2  00 

Williams's  Manual  of  Lithology  8vo,  3  00 

MINING. 

Beard's  Ventilation  of  Mines  izmo,  2  50 

Boyd's  Resources  of  Southwest  Virginia  8vo,  3  00 

Map  of  Southwest  Virginia  Pocket-book  form,  2  00 

*  Drinker's  Tunneling,  Explosive  Compounds,  and  Rock  Drills. 

4to,  half  morocco,  25  00 

Eissler's  Modern  High  Explosives  8vo,  4  00 

Fowler's  Sewage  Works  Analyses  i2mo,  2  00 

Goodyear's  Coal-mines  of  the  Western  Coast  of  the  United  States  i2mo,  2  50 

Ihlseng's  Manual  of  Minings   8vo,  4  00 

**  Iles's  Lead-smelting.    (Postage  9c.  additional.)  i2mo,  2  50 

Kunhardt's  Practice  of  Ore  Dressing  in  Europe  8vo,  i  50 

O'DriscoU's  Notes  on  the  Treatment  of  Gold  Ores  8vo,  2  00 

*  Walke's  Lectures  on  Explosives                                                   .  .  .8vo,  4  00 

Wilson's  Cyanide  Processes  i2mo,  i  50 

Chlorination  Process  i2mo,  i  50 

Hydraulic  and  Placer  Mining  i2mo,  2  00 

Treatise  on  Practical  and  Theoretical  Mine  Ventilation  i2mo,  i  25 

SANITARY  SCIENCE. 

Copeland's  Manual  of  Bacteriology.    (In  preparation.) 

Folwell's  Sewerage.    (Designing,  Construction,  and  Maintenance.;  8vo,  3  00 

Water-supply  Engineering  8vo,  4  00 

Fuertes's  Water  and  PubUc  Health  i2mo,  i  50 

Water-filtration  Works  i2mo,  2  50 

Gerhard's  Guide  to  Sanitary  House-inspection  i6mo,  i  00 

Goodrich's  Economical  Disposal  of  Town's  Refuse  Demy  8vo,  3  50 

Hazen's  Filtration  of  Public  Water-supplies  8vo,  3  00 

Kiersted's  Sewage  Disposal  i2mo,  i  25 

Leach's  The  Inspection  and  Analysis  of  Food  with  Special  Reference  to  State 

Control.    (In  preparation.) 
.Mason's  Water-supply.    (Considered  Principally  from  a  Sanitary  Stand- 
point.)   3d  Edition,  Rewritten  8vo,  4  00 

Examination  of  Water.    (Chemical  and  Bacteriological.)  i2mo,  i  25 

Merriman's  Elements  of  Sanitary  Engineering  8vo,  2  00 

Nichols's  Water-supply.    (Considered  Mainly  from  a  Chemical  and  Sanitary 

Standpoint.)    (1883.)  8vo,  2  50 

Ogden's  Sewer  Design  i2mo,  2  00 

♦Price's  Handbook  on  Sanitation  i2mo,  i  50 

Richards's  Cost  of  Food.    A  Study  in  Dietaries  i2mo,  i  00 

Cost  of  Living  as  Modified  by  Sanitary" Science  i2mo,  i  00 

Richards  and  Woodman's  Air,  Water,  and  Food  from  a  Sanitary  Stand- 
point 8vo,  2  00 

*  Richards  and  Williams's  The  Dietary'Computer  8vo,  i  50 

Rideal's  Sewage  and  Bacterial  Purification  of  Sewage  8vo,  3  50 

Turneaure  and  Russell's  Public  Water-supplies  8vo,  5  00 

Whipple's  Microscopy  of  Drinking-water  8vo,  3  50 

Woodhull's  Notes  and  Military  Hygiene  i6mo,  i  50 

15 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


Barker's  Deep-sea  Soundings  8vo,  2  00 

Emmons's  Geological  Guide-book  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Excursion  of  the 

International  Congress  of  Geologists  Large  8vo,  i  50 

Ferrel's  Popular  Treatise  on  the  Winds.  8vo,  4  00 

Haines's  American  Railway  Management.                                          i2mo,  2  50 

Mott's  Composition,'Digestibility ,  and  Nutritive  Value  of  Food.  Mounted  chart,  i  25 

Fallacy  of  the  Present  Theory  of  Sound  i6mo,  i  00 

Ricketts's  History  of  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute,  1824-1894.  Small  8vo,  3  00 

Rotherham's  EmpHasized  New  Testament  Large  8vo,  2  00 

Steel's  Treatise  on  the  Diseases  of  the  Dog  8vo,  3  50 

Totten's  Important  Question  in  Metrology  8vo,  2  50 

The  World's  Columbian  Exposition  of  1893  4to  ,  I  00 

Worcester  and  Atkinson.    Small  Hospitals,  Establishment  and  Maintenance, 
and  Suggestions  for  Hospital  Architecture,  with  Plans  for  a  Small 

Hospital  i2mo,  i  25 

HEBREW  AND  CHALDEE  TEXT-BOOKS. 

Green's  Grammar  of  the  Hebrew  Language  8vo,  3  00 

Elementary  Hebrew  Grammar  i2mo,  i  25 

Hebrew  Chrestomathy  ,  8vo,  2  00 

Gesenius's  Hebrew  and  Chaldee  Lexicon  to  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures. 

(Tregelles.)  Small  4to,  half  morocco,  5  00 

Letteris's  Hebrew  Bible  8vo,  2  25 

16 


I 


